Watchhunters: the Convergenst
by BecomingFearless1F
Summary: POST-INFINITY WAR (SPOILERS): The first thing Peter noticed when he regained consciousness was that he had the worst migraine in the history of migraines. The next thing he noticed was how he was still very much alive, and not as dead as he thought he would be. "To be completely honest, Pete, I don't think we ever died," Bucky whispered softly.
1. Peter Parker - Awakening

_Peter Parker_

The first thing Peter noticed when he regained consciousness was that he had the worst migraine in the history of migraines. It reminded him of the time he pulled an all-nighter studying for a final exam in History and he drank Aunt May's special homemade 'coffee' brew so he would stay awake. He ended up going home before the final due to massive migraine attacks caused by the drink. That was the last time he ever drank that poison.

However, the next thing he noticed, in that blissful moment of consciousness, was how he was still very much alive, and not dead as he thought he would be.

He couldn't open his eyes. There was darkness all around him, and his entire body felt limp. Every square inch of him was sore, and Peter could hardly breathe, feeling like the entire world was weighing down on his chest.

 _Wake up._

Peter's eyes flashed open and he let out an unearthly scream. His first instinct was to jump, run, and get away as fast as he could from anything that would hurt him. Not only that, but his spidey-senses were screaming at him, something they only did when he was in great peril. Peter leapt to his feet and stretched out his hand towards a large blurry shape on the distant horizon, hoping his webs would catch so he could swing his way out. There was noise coming from behind him, but Peter blocked it out, focusing on his task.

Just as he was about to activate his web-shooters, a pair of strong, burly arms wrapped themselves around Peter's torso, trapping his arms at his sides. Peter flailed about, trying to wiggle himself out of his attacker's grip. _Do whatever it takes to get away from an attacker, Peter,_ his Aunt May had told him once when she had signed the pair up for self-defense classes. _Just get away._

Try as hard as Peter might, his attacker merely grunted in frustration and tightened their grip. Peter choked back a sob of distress and let himself go limp. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying that whatever death was awaiting him in the next few minutes, that it would be swift and painless.

There was more noise coming directly from behind Peter; it was his attacker. He ignored his spidey-senses and allowed himself to hear what the person was saying.

"Kid's got spirit, I'll give him that," the attacker grunted. It was a male, mid-twenties. "Can someone please calm him down and convince him we're not the enemy?"

There was some more shuffling and Peter heard more footsteps coming towards the front of him. He gritted his teeth and took a shaky deep breath, mentally prepping himself for his death.

"Peter...open your eyes please. I promise you on my father's name, the great king T'Chaka, that we will not harm you."

Peter recognized that voice. Not only had he heard it on the radio and TV, but he had met the man in person.

He took a breath and began to flick his eyes open slowly. He winced and shut them almost immediately when sunlight crashed into his vision.

Wait, sunlight? Peter was now extremely confused and anxious. Was there even sunlight when someone was dead?

Peter tried again, trying to calm his nerves. His fingers danced anxiously at his sides and he rolled his shoulders, forcing his muscles to relax. This time, Peter was fully able to open his eyes. When he did, his jaw dropped open in awe.

He was surrounded by hills. Not ordinary hills, ones that were as tall as skyscrapers. They had the most luscious, green grass he had ever seen in his entire life. When he wiggled his toes, Peter could feel the soft and moist grass wiggling along with him. The scent of sweat and fresh rain mixed together in perfect harmony, creating a smell that tempted Peter back into sweet unconsciousness.

There was a loud cough behind him, and his spidey-senses shot up again. Peter flipped around, holding his hands up defensively. He was not prepared for the sight he encountered.

There were twelve people, both men and woman, human and alien, all gathered together in a clump. Why that surprised him, he didn't know. Something felt off in his brain, and Peter couldn't figure out how to turn it back on.

There was a man standing a few feet in front of him; Peter's mind quickly connected the dots and confirmed that it was the Black Panther, a creature considered a legend to the whole world besides the nation of Wakanda. The Black Panther still had his suit made of Vibranium on, his panther mask giving off a ferocious look that made Peter's spine tingle. At least some of Peter's brain still worked. He gave some serious thought to the idea of just running away right then, when the group thought he had finally calmed down. However, the man in front of him held up his arms in a friendly manner, not daring to move towards or away from Peter.

"Peter, do you remember who I am?" the man asked cautiously, an accent coming out full and strong. Peter could hear him stating his words clearly, as if he was speaking to a wild animal.

"Y-You're t-the B-Black P-Panther," Peter stuttered, suddenly aware of how raw his voice rounded. He licked his chapped lips and tried to coat his throat with some moisture. He swallowed hard. "You helped T-Tony and us d-during the fight at the a-airport against Captain A-America and his team."

The Black Panther nodded once. "That is correct, Peter. Now, I am going to take off my mask. Is that alright with you?" The man made a motion towards his head and Peter found himself giving the smallest of nods.

The Black Panther nodded his head thankfully before tapping the side of his mask with two fingers. It dissolved away, similar to that of Tony's newest suit made from nanotechnology. The man underneath the Black Panther suit was African, with a nicely trimmed goatee and short, curly black hair. His chocolate brown eyes were warm and friendly, and Peter found himself relaxing some more.

"Since I know your name, it is appropriate you know my own," the man said with a smile. He gestured with his hands towards his own chest. "My name is T'Challa. To some, I am the King of Wakanda."

"Y-Your Majesty," Peter stammered out, feeling sweat pooling on his forehead. How did one talk to a foreign leader again?

Instead, T'Challa let out a small, delighted laugh and shook his head. "There is no need for such delicacies here, Peter. Wherever...here...is, anyways."

There was movement behind T'Challa's shoulder and Peter instantly leapt back a few feet, moving into a crouch for better mobility. T'Challa raised his hands up, trying to calm Peter down, and Peter took a few deeps breaths, focusing on centering himself. Maybe he should have taken those yoga classes with May after all...

"Please, be calm, Peter," T'Challa insisted soothingly. "It is just our friends."

Peter licked his lips again and clenched his fists, but scooted to the side to get a clearer picture of what the people in the clump were doing. Most of them were either standing or crouching; all of them had been awake before he had. The couple he noticed the most was an android made of Vibranium (Peter could tell by the way the sunlight sparkled off of it) who was red, green, and gold, and a young women, in her late-twenties at the latest. She had beautiful auburn red hair, and she had on a red corset with a long, dark red leather jacket. The two of them were passionately embracing; the woman was crying profusely and the android was whispering kind words into her ear. Peter couldn't help but smile at the robot's gesture.

The rest of the group was divided up into pairs, and it was obvious to see it was whoever each other was most comfortable with:

-What looked like a human, an alien with little lights attached to her forehead that looked similar to those on Angler fishes, probably the most muscular alien Peter had ever seen in his entire life, and a walking, talking tree were all in a small huddle, standing more towards the side of the clump, but still within listening and conversing distance.

-An African-American man and a scruffy, long dark brown haired Caucasian man with a metal arm were standing close by the young woman and the android, their eyes flickering back and forth to the undergrowth merely a mile away, as if daring danger to come out and try to attack them.

-And then, there were two figures sitting by a roaring fireplace that Peter had somehow missed on his awakening. They were talking in low voices, not wanting to be overheard by the rest of the group. One was a beautiful young woman, perhaps a couple years the android's lover's senior. She had dark brown hair that was pulled back into a professional, yet messy bun. At her side was another darker skinned man (the color reminded Peter of the creamy chocolate balls that him and his Aunt May loved to get at their nearby deli shop), and from the way he was slouching, Peter had to guess he was her boss. He had a pitch-black eyepatch on his left eye and there was major scarring all around it.

-One man sat by himself, his legs folded into a criss-cross-applesauce position. His eyes were shut tightly and there was sweat forming on his forehead.

Peter froze when his gaze caught on the man by the fireplace. The sides of his hair were already graying, despite the fact that he looked like he was in his late-thirties. A deep red cloak was attached to his shoulders, and, though it was limp now, Peter knew what sort of damage it could actually do.

"D-Dr. Strange?" Peter whispered in shock.

The man's eyes shot open immediately and he stared up at the young man, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Peter?" the man asked, unfolding himself and slowly rising to his feet. Dr. Strange looked healthy, albeit he was shaky from shock. "Are you alright? We were suspecting that you would not regain your memories for another..."

"You died."

There was silence. Every group stopped talking and simply stared down at their feet. The young woman by the android bit her lower lip and her eyes filled up with even more tears. Peter didn't realize he was crying until he had the urge to sniffle.

"You disappeared completely into dust," Peter continued, partially glad that his stammering was gone. Now if he could only stop crying. He wiped away a few tears that leaked out and added, "Right before I..."

His chest suddenly seized up and Peter clutched desperately at it, trying to find some breath. He had died. He remembered feeling the pain, the unease in his stomach. He remembered falling into Tony Stark's arms, crying about how he didn't want to leave...how he should have just stayed on the schoolbus.

His eyesight was beginning to grow dark on the edges, and he heard Dr. Strange yell, "He's having a panic attack!" before someone gently grabbed him, helping to ease him down onto the ground. Once he was safety deposited on the dirt, Peter sprawled out on his back, forcing himself to look up at the sky. He forced a deep breath in and forced a deep breath out. He started counting down the five senses. It was a trick that his Uncle Ben had taught him after Peter had experienced his first panic attack about the night his parents were killed. Starting with sight, find five things you could see, four you could hear, three you could touch, two you could taste, and one you could smell.

Five things he could see: the beautiful, fluffy clouds that reminded him of home, Dr. Strange's distressed face, T'Challa's back as the king paced back and forth, how the green land vastly contrasted from the blue sky, and the thick, dense forests at the edge of the clearing.

Four things he could hear: Dr. Strange insisting that he stayed awake and to continue whatever Peter was doing because it was helping him to calm down, T'Challa's labored breaths, Peter's own labored breaths, and someone cursing softly at the fireplace.

Three things he could touch: the grass that tickled the back of his neck, Dr. Strange's knee which happened to be right beside his hand, and Peter's own body.

Two things he could taste: the moisture in the air and that ridiculous deodorant that Dr. Strange was wearing. If it was so thick that Peter could taste it, then there was too much of it on.

One thing he could smell: that rain-sweat combination that he had first noticed when he woke up.

Peter gritted his teeth and took another breath, feeling relief wash over him when it came rather easily. Dr. Strange noticed it too, and let out a similar sigh. The older doctor held his hand out to Peter, who took it gratefully. With the help of Strange, Peter stood back onto his feet. All the group looked at him expectantly, as if they were waiting anxiously to hear if he was going to live or not. It confused him. He didn't know any of them, so why should they be concerned...?

Peter bit back a gasp of pain as something sharp hit the back of his head. He moaned and rubbed the spot tenderly. Dr. Strange shifted his hold on Peter, allowing the doctor to have better access to the back of Peter's head. Dr. Strange clicked his tongue disapprovingly and Peter shivered uncomfortably. What did _that_ mean?

"You have a nasty cut there, Peter," Dr. Strange elaborated after seeing Peter's dazed expression. "With the addition of a concussion, based on your current symptoms. Normally, I wouldn't recommend sleep; it can cause the concussion to become worse. Unfortunately, in this situation, I feel like sleep would be the best option for you."

"B-But, I need some answers," Peter argued weakly as the doctor pulled him towards the fireplace. John Doe (the darker-skinned man standing the by the android), as Peter nicknamed him, walked over to Peter's other side, looping Peter's arm around the man's neck. "Please, Dr. Strange..."

"Peter, if we had any answers, we would give them to you," the doctor whispered softly, and even though he was standing right beside Peter, the young boy had to strain his ears just to pick up the words. "Please...rest. Hopefully, when you awake, we will be able to give you some of the answers you are desperate for."

Peter closed his mouth, his mind whirling with thoughts. He allowed the two men to gently set him down on the dirt by the fireplace, his body curling up into a loose ball upon impact. Dr. Strange got up and walked over to T'Challa after Peter was comfortably on the ground, but the other man, John, stayed kneeling by him.

"Y-You can go now," Peter stammered. The man looked at him with slight amusement in his eyes.

"I ain't going nowhere until you're asleep," the man promised him, moving so he was sitting comfortably on the ground beside Peter. "I have experienced PTSD before; I know how hard it is to try and fall asleep without someone beside you."

Peter gave the man a tiny smile before shifting a little. He tried to close his eyes, but his body tensed up and he found he couldn't breathe. All the memories of how he had died raced back to him, and he flung his eyes open, gritting his teeth angrily. It didn't help that he was still wearing his bloodied Spiderman uniform, the one that Tony Stark had upgraded for him.

So, instead, Peter turned his gaze towards the fire, focusing on how the embers crackled and popped. All of them moved harmoniously together whilst still being an individual spark. Somehow, amidst all that chaos, Peter was able to fall into sweet unconsciousness.

* * *

 _"I-I'm so s-sorry, Aunt May!" Peter sobbed, his arms wrapping tightly around his aunt. The youth was on his knees inside his aunt's cozy apartment, his face buried into the crook of her neck. The woman in told was also on her knees, clutching tightly to her nephew in return. "I-If only I hadn't been mad at him...maybe he wouldn't have s-stormed out of the house like he did...I-I killed him!"_

 _"Peter Benjamin Parker!" his aunt gasped, pulling away from him. May cupped his tear-stained face with her hands and pulled it forward, so the two of them were resting foreheads against each other. "Don't you ever say that again! Your Uncle Ben would never have agreed with you. He made his choice to run after you. He gave his life up so that way yours would be spared."_

 _"B-But..." Peter choked up, and May tightened her grip on him, pulling Peter into a fierce hug._

 _"No ifs, ands, or buts," May argued, squeezing him even tighter. "Peter...with great power comes great responsibility. Ben had the power to save you, and to him, that was his greatest responsibility."_

* * *

Peter's eyes flashed open and he let out a loud gasp, bolting into an upright position in an instant. He was severely disoriented and, in addition to his many side effects, a new headache was raging on. Dr. Strange was right; his concussion probably had become worse. He rubbed his eyes wearily with his shaking hands. Peter glanced around the fireplace, keeping his hands pressed against his legs.

All the other members of the group were asleep, leaving Peter as the only one awake. T'Challa and Dr. Strange were resting against a tree stump near to where Peter was lying down, and John Doe had fallen asleep right at Peter's feet. Peter gave a soft, thankful smile towards the man, even though he was asleep still.

"You're awake."

Peter flinched and twisted around sharply. His headache protested and he winced, moaning as another fresh wave of pain hit him. He sat there for a moment, blinking his eyes until all the dark spots faded away. Once they did, he peered across the fireplace to see the scruffy Caucasian man sitting on a log, staring longingly into the fire. His hands were folded neatly in his lap, and his outfit consisted of tactical gear Peter had seen some soldiers wear in movies.

Scruffy, the man, spoke again. "Do you remember me?" He gave Peter a quizzing look. Peter's mind raced, like go-karts on a track, as he searched his thoughts. Scruffy did look familiar, but Peter couldn't pinpoint where exactly he knew him from. Scruffy had to be in his mid-twenties, with shoulder-length dark brown hair that almost looked black in the faint light. He looked as if he hadn't shaved in a couple of weeks. It looked uncomfortable to Peter.

Peter shook his head softly, and the man gave a little sigh before nodding thoughtfully. Peter felt shame rise to his face and he looked down towards the ground, feeling disappointed with himself. Should he know Scruffy?

"It's alright, Peter," Scruffy interrupted Peter's sulking. Peter looked back up towards the man and Scruffy gave him a knowing smile. "We're all experiencing a bit of amnesia. Yours is just the worse case we've seen so far. Must be what comes with the so-called 'death'." The man paused and he licked his lips before continued, "My name's Bucky."

Something clicked inside Peter's head and he could feel the neurons sparking to life. "Bucky Barnes?"

Scruffy froze and looked at him in disbelief, which Peter took as a good sign. Peter added, "I-I...I caught your fist during the fight at the airport...you have the metal arm..." Peter's eyes widened in disbelief and awe, and his mouth fell open slightly. "You have a metal arm! Man, that's so cool!"

Bucky held a finger up to his lips and Peter's face flushed with embarrassment. Peter slapped his own hands over his face, preventing any fangirling from coming out. Bucky chuckled, his voice low and quiet, shaking his head slightly at Peter's antics.

"Dude, I studied you in History class," Peter whispered hurriedly towards Bucky, his grin spreading wider and wider. "You and Steve Rogers. There was an entire unit about you guys and the Howling Commandos. I did my final thesis paper on what really happened to you and did you really die."

Peter's voice faltered, and he stopped, slowly looking down into the fire. Suddenly, it didn't seem as warm and fuzzy as it had been when he had fallen asleep. It was now weak, dull, barely able to continue on with its fiery life.

"B-Bucky," Peter stammered, clenching his hands together. He looked down at his lap, unable to meet the super soldier's eyes. "Do you know where we are?"

"Remember what Strange said," Bucky reminded him in a scolding yet gentle voice. "We'll let you know as soon as we figure out what the heck is going on. We're all confused."

Bucky fell silent and the two of them sat by the dying fire, watching as it puttered around, trying desperately to find little wood chips that it could bring down with it.

After a moment of silence, Peter asked, "Bucky...a-are we still dead?"

Bucky immediately shook his head, running his metal hand through his long, dark locks. The super soldier's leg began to bounce rapidly as Bucky took a deep breath. "To be completely honest, Pete, I don't think we ever died."

Peter's mouth dropped open in surprise and his chest tightened up. He found it a bit difficult to breathe and his shaky hands began to shake even more. "W-What do you m-mean? H-How are we n-not dead? We faded into dust!" Peter's headache was still raging hardcore, making him drowsy. However, he didn't feel like he could return to sleep. There were too many questions rushing around in his head.

"Since being the Winter Soldier for HYDRA," Bucky began, his leg still bouncing. "I have been able to determine what death is. I had to; it was an essential part of my job. I killed a whole lot, and I began to recognize death's ugly face and the trails it left behind. This," he gestured all around them, towards the bright green grass swaying softly in the wind to the healthy trees on the outskirts of the clearing, all as tall as four-story buildings, "is not it. Wherever we are: it's not Earth, but it's not death either. I think Thanos tried to kill us but we got teleported accidentally."

"It was no accident, James Buchanan Barnes."

Peter's spidey-senses rocket-fired. Peter let out a yelp of fright and jumped to his feet, accidentally stepping on John Doe in the process. The man let out a grunt of pain and Peter tripped over him in a frenzy to get away from the voice. Bucky was on his feet, pulling out a M4A1 Peter hadn't realized was on Bucky's person.

Peter looked around frantically, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. It was none of the other members by the fireplace; they were all slowly being awoken by Bucky, who would walk a few feet, check to make sure the coast was clear, then nudge them awake.

T'Challa slowly crouched down beside Peter, and Peter was proud of himself that he didn't flinch at the sudden movement near him. The Vibranium armor was still on and the Black Panther helmet quickly reappeared atop T'Challa head.

"Peter, stay towards the fireplace," T'Challa ordered, his accented voice coming out slightly distorted from the helmet. "Now!"

The young man nodded, frog-leaping towards the fire that had mysterious died out. As if on cue, the rest of the group made a circle around Peter, blocking him from sight. Peter took that moment to yank up his mask, feeling more comfortable and at ease with the fabric pressed up against his face. He gently tapped the side piece attached to his mask and the night vision activated. Everything around him looked green and it disoriented himself just a bit. He swayed lightly then shook his head, canceling the night vision. Peter put a mental note down that night vision and concussions don't work well together.

"Come out with your hands held high!" Bucky barked out into the dead night air. He shouldered his weapon tighter and swerved around.

Peter placed his palms flat onto the cold, hard-packed earth underneath him. He closed his eyes and blocked out all the noise from the people around him and focused only on the vibrations. He knelt like that for what felt like hours, only paying attention to what he could feel.

Nothing. There was absolutely nothing.

"Bucky," Peter whispered tentatively. He didn't want to make a big deal about it, since he was new to the whole superhero deal, but Peter felt like it was slightly important. "Whoever it is, they aren't walking on foot. I can't feel any vibrations in the ground."

"You are correct, Peter Benjamin Parker. A being of my caliber does not simply...walk."

Then, Peter was blinded by an enormous light coming from directly in front of him.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I edited this portion a little bit. I got really good constructive criticism from a Guest reviewer (THANK YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE) and will work harder in the future to keep it staying good :)**


	2. Bucky Barnes - Light Maiden

_Bucky Barnes_

Bucky Barnes, ever since his mind had been cleared of HYDRA protocol by the Wakandan people, lived by one principle: help others, even if they were capable of handling the situation themselves and even if that meant Bucky would put his own life at risk. That guideline saved hundreds of lives when he agreed to come out of retirement in order to battle against Thanos. That guideline was why Bucky stepped in front of Peter, hoisting his gun up higher. He pointed it directly towards the bright light, readying himself for a fight against the unknown.

"Foolish mortal weapons will not affect me, James Buchanan Barnes, so using one to threaten me is meaningless," the voice sounded again, a hint of haughtiness and anger woven into its speech. From beside him, Sam Wilson brought out the pistol that was hanging in his suit's thigh holster. He flicked the safety off and gripped it tightly. The two men caught each other's eyes before turning to look back towards the light. It was beginning to die down a little, and Bucky blinked rapidly, urging his eyes to adjust faster. He could not protect anyone in the group if he was temporarily blinded.

"Who are you?" Sam demanded, pulling his gun up towards his hip. Bucky kept his body tense and his upper torso on a swivel, ready to jump in front of his comrade to protect him if it was necessary. "And no more of that 'I'm-higher-and-more-important-than-you-are' junk. Give us an actual answer."

"Now is not the time for such answers, Samuel Thomas Wilson," the voice from inside the light responded. Bucky perked up. The voice was feminine, not masculine as he had previously assumed. A clue. Though he didn't like to, he wasn't afraid to attack the woman if it meant protection. Protection was the most important thing to Bucky.

 _ **But you couldn't protect yourself from me, could you?**_ the annoying pest inside his head growled, and Bucky gritted his teeth, gripping onto his M4A1 even tighter.

Though the Wakandan people had been able to disable all the HYDRA commands and the urges to cut someone's throat open when they pissed him off, Bucky was still left with one reminder of HYDRA: the Asset. None of the doctors who treated him knew why Bucky was able to hear the voice inside his head, not even Shuri, T'Challa's brilliant younger sister. They had tried everything they could think of to get rid of it: medicines, surgery, hypnosis, and more. The Asset was like the Hyde to Bucky's Jekyll, somehow manifesting itself as a sub-consciousness inside Bucky's mind. It was no longer able to take control of him, but it was still able to bother him to no foreseeable end.

"I have come to ensure that Peter Benjamin Parker is no longer in mortal danger, Heroes Against Thanos," the female voice stated. The light suddenly swerved, as if on an invisible axis, until it stopped in front of Dr. Stephen Strange, who was positioned on the far side of the circle. The Sorcerer Supreme already had his magic swirling by his hands, ready to be fired off at a moment's notice. "Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange, being the one with the most medical expertise out of all these mortals, do you agree that Peter Benjamin Parker is indeed out of mortal danger?"

Dr. Strange stiffened slightly and tilted his head cockily. "Well, that depends on who you are."

Suddenly, all around them, there was the sound of distant church bells ringing. Bucky was instantly taken back to the time when he had been in Mexico City for an 'assassinate-this-foreign-senator' mission. The KGB assassin's apartment complex had been stationed directly across from this little Catholic church, where the bells would ring ever hour. Both bells carried a mysterious tune: they were warm, kind, friendly, yet hidden below the surface, if one listened closely enough, one could hear the deadly and violent tempo they kept. It took Bucky half a minute to realize those bells were actually the voice's laughter.

"I am not a threat, Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange," the female chuckled. "Though, you might count me as one. All mortal count beings who are stronger, faster, smarter, _better_ than they as a 'threat'." The light's voice cut off, and there were more bells. "Perhaps, if that is indeed your definition of a threat, I am one."

T'Challa, who was to the side of Dr. Strange, took a daring step forward. "You know all of us," he commented easily, flicking his hands. Sharp, Vibranium claws darted out from his fingertips, and he held up a claw menacingly. "Would you care to explain how?"

"That, King T'Challa of Wakanda, is easy," the voice cooed, turning so it was in front of the king. "I know everyone. It is my job to know those who live in my realities."

"Realities?" Peter gulped nervously. The young boy looked towards Bucky, confusion and a general sense of being uncomfortable wafting off of him. Bucky tensed up and coughed loudly, drawing the light's attention.

"I hate to be bothersome, but if you are going to keep talking in riddles, then you can leave," Bucky snarled, adjusting his grip on his gun. It was still pointed faithfully towards the large spectral of light. "We've all had enough of this for one day."

The light remained silent, not shifting or making any noise. Everyone shifted uncomfortably on their toes. Peter clenched and unclenched his fists, while Bucky made it his goal to remain motionless. He kept a straight poker face on, banishing any trace of emotion from his face. If Peter saw how nervous the former KGB assassin really was, then that would put the boy at even more risk.

 _ **What is it with you and protection?**_ the Asset hissed inside Bucky's ear. Bucky resisted the urge to swat by his ear, though there was nothing there. _**You are a killer; you do not protect.**_

 _Him, I do_ , Bucky growled in return, shaking his head to rid himself of the Asset, if only for a few minutes.

"You are right, James Buchanan Barnes."

Everyone's eyes widened significantly as the light began to dim drastically. Bucky could now faintly make out the curves that belonged to the female. She was not very tall, perhaps 5'4" at the most. The light was still bright enough that her features remained hidden, and Bucky sniffed angrily. If they encountered anybody in this strange place, Bucky wouldn't be able to determine whether or not they were actually the female in the light. Something touched his arm, and Bucky tensed up. He relaxed instantly when he realized it was merely Peter. The young Spiderman was slowly walking backwards, away from the light. Peter tucked himself behind Bucky, now on the outside of the circle which Bucky disliked, but it made him farther away from the light, which Bucky very much enjoyed. There was something off about the light, but he couldn't tell what.

"You have all experienced a great change, Heroes Against Thanos. I, in part, am to blame for that. But, as I said before, James Buchanan Barnes, you are right. You have had enough turmoil and stress for one day. I shall return tomorrow. Then, I shall answer any questions you or your friends may have about this place and others," the voice finished. It paused and swerved severely on the invisible axis again, stopping right before Bucky and Peter. Peter jumped back at the sudden movement and his arms clamped onto Bucky's arm. Peter's breathing was heavy and Bucky took a protective step in front of the boy, allowing Sam access to the teen. The man took a hint and ducked behind Bucky, exchanging quiet, rapid words with Peter. "Peter Benjamin Parker." The trio froze and Peter looked weakly towards Sam and Bucky, shaking his head slightly. He didn't want to talk to the light alone. Sam stepped out from behind Bucky, resuming his old place in the circle, and Bucky shifted over, giving Peter the ability to enter the space in between the two soldiers.

Peter stepped into the space, taking a long and deliberately slow deep breath. His eyes darted back and forth and Bucky recognized the technique Peter had used earlier in order to calm himself down from his anxiety attack. The youth licked his lips and steeled his gaze before looking towards the light.

"I mentioned earlier how it is my job to know those inside my realities," the girl explained. "To put it simply, dear Peter Benjamin Parker, I am glad to see that you are doing better and that you shall not perish within the near future. Until tomorrow, Heroes Against Thanos."

"Wait!" Peter suddenly blurted out, and the light paused its movement. Bucky watched through the light as the shadow within cocked her head. "A-Are we dead?"

The bells rang out once more and Bucky raised an eyebrow as the light responded with, "We cannot truly know what death is until we have experienced the meaning of life."

And with that, the light completely vanished, sending the group into pitch darkness.

The first thing Bucky did after the light vanished was make sure the rest of the group was safe and secured. The Guardians of the Galaxy (or what was left of them) were all safe, gathered together in a tight grouping around Groot the tree. Maria Hill and Nick Fury, two people Bucky recognized from SHIELD, were alive and well. Maria seemed slightly dazed by the whole experience, but Fury seemed as cool, calm, and collected. He was the opposite of Wanda. Bucky, through the darkness, could see the young mutantness curled up in a tight ball on the ground, her knees pulled up close to her chest. Vision, the android apparently created by Tony Stark and Dr. Bruce Banner, was kneeling beside her, gently petting her auburn-red hair down in a soothing, boyfriend-like manner. Dr. Strange and T'Challa were still fine, and Sam was talking to Peter in a low voice, his arm wrapped protectively around the youth's shoulders.

It was only then that Bucky allowed himself to breathe. He ran his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit he had picked up from Shuri when she was his personal physician and therapist. When Bucky had stayed in Wakandan, he didn't allow himself to have very many friends. Though he had been in the modern world for quite some time, he hadn't truly learned much. Everyone was nice and friendly towards him, but Bucky wanted to learn things out for himself without having anyone judging him. Shuri and T'Challa were the two people who had forced themselves into his life without giving him much of a choice. Bucky cracked a grin just thinking about the two royal children of Wakanda. Separate from each other, they were responsible, mature adults (mostly T'Challa) who knew how to respect others and they were good leaders. Put the two trouble-makers together, however, and Wakanda would never be safe.

"You ok there, Buck?" Sam called out, jarring Bucky out of his flashback. Bucky nodded wearily, then verbally confirmed it, just in case Sam couldn't see him. "Vision's got a idea that you might want to hear."

Bucky rolled the tension out of his shoulders and moved forward towards Sam, stepping over the burnt-out fireplace to take his place beside Peter and his friend. Peter visibly relaxed when Bucky came closer and a soft smile came to Bucky's lips. It made Bucky feel normal when people felt safe around him; it meant that they weren't thinking he was only the Winter Soldier, but something more.

 _ **You will never be more, James,**_ cackled the Asset, and Bucky's smile fell off his lips, being replaced by a frown. Bucky wiped his face with the palm of his hand, hoping to rub some of the Asset off with it. It must have worked slightly, because the Hyde-persona remained silent as Vision rose to address the group.

"In light of the fact that we do not know where we are nor do we know who that female was in the light just mere minutes ago," Vision began, and Bucky made a mental note that Vision noticed the light's gender too. "I suggest that we all sleep in groups of three, with the exception of a group of four. While groups of two are more effective, as each person only has to worry about an additional person, groups of three will allow better defensive capabilities for everyone."

Bucky nodded, showing his consent for the plan. The Guardians of the Galaxy were silent, but Groot mumbled, "I am Groot," sleepily, so everyone took that as an 'I agree'. They set off immediately, dividing up into groups. Wanda and Vision were instantly a group together, and Sam decided to go to their group, wanting to talk to Wanda to see how she was holding up. Star Lord (who Bucky was surprised to find out that his real name was Peter Quill), Mantis, and Drax the Destroyer were all another group, though Peter Quill did not seem too pleased by it. Groot plopped himself down by Maria Hill, and since Nick Fury was already beside her, the duo became a trio. That left Peter, Bucky, Dr. Strange, and T'Challa as the odd group of four.

Their sleeping plan was simple: Peter, being the youngest and the most affected by whatever was happening to them all, would sleep in the middle of a triangle created by the other three. Dr. Strange laid down on one side of Peter while Bucky mirrored him, doing the same on the other side. T'Challa opted to rest by Peter's feet, not explaining his reasoning fully, just saying that he wanted to be there 'in case of emergencies'. Bucky decided it would just be smart not to argue with a foreign dignitary.

The super soldier placed his M4A1 strategically close to himself while still a decent distance away so he could get a well-deserved rest. Bucky closed his eyes and curled one arm underneath his head, making it act like a pillow. He let himself breathe in and out easily, pushing all of the galaxy's problems away. Bucky pictured his hometown of Brooklyn, and how the borough looked now in the twenty-first century. It was still filled to the brim with apartment buildings made of brick, but there were beautiful parks scattered everywhere, giving each resident and visitor a little slice of nature in their daily routine.

Try as hard as he might, Bucky's mental image of Brooklyn didn't help drag him down to sleep. Instead, it made him even more awake. He felt jittery, and his leg began to twitch, wanting to bounce up and down again. Another nervous habit he had developed from Shuri. His eyes darted back and forth underneath his eyelids, and his mind whirled with thoughts. Bucky finally gave a groan and sat up, shaking his head slightly. There was no way he could go back to sleep after the night he had just experienced.

"B-Bucky?"

Bucky recognized the voice instantly and glanced over his shoulder, seeing the weary-worn face of Peter Parker. The teen was tucked into a tight ball, and he was trying to stretch out a little without hitting any of the three grown men surrounding him. Bucky scooted to the side a little, giving Peter more room, and the youth gave him a thankful smile, stretching his arms as forward as they could go.

"What's up, Pete?" Bucky asked, moving to recline himself back down onto the earth. Perhaps there would be bright stars in the sky; stargazing would keep him occupied until his mind was ready to fall back asleep. "Can't sleep?"

"Yeah," the teen sighed in defeat, his hazel-brown eyes staring at his own clenched hands. "I-I keep thinking about my Aunt May and my Uncle Ben. M-Mostly the night that my Uncle Ben..." Peter trailed off, biting his lower lip sadly. Bucky wasn't a rocket scientist, but it didn't take one to figure out what had happened to the boy's uncle.

"I know you've probably heard this a thousand times," Bucky breathed, rolling onto his side so he was making eye contact with Peter. "But I'm sorry for the loss of your uncle."

Peter gave him a smile, but still waved it off with his hand. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It was my fault really. We had had a giant fight; I messed up a quiz and my uncle wanted to know why. I used to never mess up tests or quizzes. This situation was like the Yanks not making the playoffs. It rarely happened." Peter licked his lips and flipped onto his back, his face now angled towards the sky. "To be honest, the reason I had let my grade slip was because my school bully, Flash Thompson, had threatened to beat up my best friend, Ned, if I didn't appear more stupid. So, I figured that since Science was my best grade, I could afford to drop from an A+ to a B-. Nothing too bad. My uncle, however, knew something was up. I didn't want to tell him, friend confidentiality and all that, so, instead, I stormed out of the house. I was upset and frustrated that he didn't understand what I was going through; the bullies, I mean."

Peter trailed off, his eyes getting a glassy look. Before Bucky could regret his decision, the super soldier reached out and gently grabbed Peter's arm. The teenager tilted his head down. Bucky told him, "It's good to tell the whole story; let all your emotions be bare."

Peter nodded and Bucky could see some more strength returning to him. The teen opened his mouth and continued, "I headed to the worst part of Queens, the roughest, toughest neighborhood I could find. It was the last place my uncle would look for me, so I decided 'what the heck?'. There was a mugger there, and he put a gun to my head, threatening to blow it off if I didn't give him all the money I had on me." Peter shivered slightly and put his arms reassuringly around himself. "I didn't have that much on me, just about eleven bucks or so. The mugger didn't believe me. I'm pretty sure he was going to do some...really bad stuff if Ben hadn't shown up when he did." A little spark burned brightly in Peter's eyes, and Bucky gave a warm smile. "You should have seen him, Bucky...He stood tall, shoulders back, heck, he was _regal_. He told the mugger to let me go and that he, Ben, would give him all the money in his wallet if he did so. Like a ransom, I guess. The mugger didn't like that idea, even though it would've given him more cash. He shoved me towards my uncle and was about to fire when Ben stepped in the way. The bullet grazed me, but it went straight through Uncle Ben."

Peter cut off, shaking his head. The teen used his fist to roughly wipe the stray tears away and Bucky heard the young boy sniff. Bucky tightened his grip on Peter's arm gently, and the boy looked down at him again. "Pete, I'm glad you got a chance to tell somebody."

Peter nodded and gave Bucky a half-smile. "I'm glad I got the chance to tell somebody _who would listen_." Using his other hand, he patted Bucky's hand that was still on his arm. "Goodnight, Bucky."

"Night, Pete."

And as Bucky rolled over and shut his eyes, he found the picture of Brooklyn in his mind even more welcoming than it had been before.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh my gosh guys. I didn't think so many people were going to pay attention to this story! Over 60 follows and it's only the second day! To Pixelfun20 and Kaceyyyuhhh, I'm glad this story helps you guys (IKR? The film just gave me tons of ideas XD).**

 **Who is the mysterious female in the light? We'll find in the next chapter :) (also, apologies that this chapter is shorter than the last one. It'll get bigger later)**


	3. Peter Parker - Answers

_Peter Parker_

Peter's headache had toned down when he opened his eyes the next morning. The sun was barely peeking its way over the tall hills, casting long, creepy shadows onto the dew-tipped grass. A painful shiver crawled its way down Peter's spine and he winced. His spidey-senses had been going crazy ever since he woke up the previous day. Peter smacked his lips, his throat still uncannily dry as well as his chapped lips. He mentally began to diagnose his current state. His body was still sore, but to a lesser degree, so Peter was confident enough to push himself up onto his elbows. A handful of people were awake and milling about, including Dr. Strange and Bucky Barnes. The two grown men were sitting on the dusty ground by a new, roaring fireplace, their back against a fallen, dead log. In the growing light, Peter could make out the long, dark circles under their eyes and the way they were breathing heavily. It looked as if the two were struggling desperately to stay calm.

Peter shifted his body, wincing as he aggravated his muscles for the second time that morning. Bucky's head snapped towards Peter, his metal hand reaching out towards a rifle that had been lying dormant beside him. His eyes were cold and calculating, but they softened when they caught Peter's own sheepish gaze. Peter hadn't meant to disturb the super soldier, but when one had super senses, it seemed near impossible to do so. Bucky rose from where he was sitting and walked through the sleeping crowd, dodging aliens, androids, and humans alike, all the while making it over to Peter in record time. If Peter hadn't been in so much pain and worried to death about whether or not they were all alive, he would have clapped.

In Bucky's hands was a circular canteen, filled to the brim with some substance. Peter prayed that it was water.

"You are a saint, Bucky Barnes," Peter rasped, holding a hand out greedily for the canteen. The super soldier snorted, but handed over the desired good. Peter grasped the canteen in both of his hands and fell onto his back, lapping at the drink with vigor. Oh, it was water. Beautiful, pure, clean water. He choked a couple of times, mostly from his inability to swallow, but by the end of it, he decided it was totally worth it. Peter handed the empty canteen back to Bucky with a bashful smile and Bucky chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

"It's alright, Kid. Peter found a spring an hour ago so we won't die of thirst," Bucky explained to him, and Peter's eyebrows shot up in confusion. But he had just woken up? There wasn't any possible way that he could have found a spring, unless he had been sleep walking. But was that even possible...? Bucky noticed his confusion and let out a loud laugh, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. "That's right...you haven't met them all."

Bucky sat down beside Peter and proceeded to tell him all the names of their companions: the first was one Peter Quill (he had been the Peter who found water. He went also by the name of Star Lord; Peter had met him when Tony, Dr. Strange, and himself all went to the planet Titan), next was Groot (he was the talking tree that only said three words, 'I am Groot', and yet somehow, half of the crew understood what he was saying), Drax (the weird alien buff guy with the red tattoos all around his body; he was friends with Star Lord. Friends being a loose term), Mantis (the alien with the glowing forehead; also friends with Star Lord in more of a sense than Drax. The two of them seemed to have a close relationship), Sam Wilson (a friend of Bucky's and Steve Rogers'. Peter had fought against him during the Avengers' Civil War; Peter painfully remembered their first encounter and how Sam's little robot-bird had flown off with Peter still attached to it. Not one of his finer moments, Peter would admit), Wanda Maximoff (Peter had fought against her too during the Avengers' Civil War; she had been the real threat during the fight, with her mystical voodoo powers, as Peter liked to call them. He wasn't too sure how she got them, but he had a sneaking suspicion it was because of an Infinity Stone), Vision (who Peter had fought alongside during the Avengers' Civil War; he was the android who was obviously in love with Wanda and he used to have the Mind stone implanted on his forehead before Thanos ripped it out, according to Bucky), and finally, Maria Hill and Nick Fury (two former agents of SHIELD; well, Bucky pointed out how Nick Fury used to be the director, and Peter made a mental note to stay as far away from them as possible. SHIELD had been all kinds of trouble in the past).

Peter, being the young, scrappy teenager he was, had always been bad at names. He nodded his head and tried his hardest not to forget the names and details as soon as Bucky spewed them out.

By the time Bucky was done with his 'Teach-Peter-A-Bunch-Of-Random-People's-Names' lesson, all the subjects... _ahem_...companions had woken up. Dr. Strange was roaming around to all the different cliques that were starting to form, checking up on them to make sure they were ok. He talked to them all with a soft and caring voice. Sometimes, amongst the chaos, Peter would forget that the Sorcerer Supreme was still a doctor at heart. Sam Wilson tried to hide the fact that he was limping, but Dr. Strange caught it almost immediately and used Peter Quill and Mantis to restrain the man while he checked out the problem. Much to everyone's relief, it was not as bad as they all first thought, and Sam was released shortly thereafter with a spew of curse words. Peter blinked his eyes rapidly towards Sam. If Aunt May had heard that sort of language coming from Peter, she would have tied him to his bed and physically washed his mouth out with soap herself. Dr. Strange's last stop was with Peter and Bucky, who were still sitting where Peter had woken up. The surgeon knelt down in front of the sitting Peter and gave him a warm smile.

"How are you doing, Peter?" Strange asked him lightly, and Peter told him the honest truth. That he was feeling much better, his body wasn't as sore, but his throat and lips were all dry and cracked. Strange chuckled at that. "It's because your body has yet to become used to this new habitat we're in. Things like temperature and even how wet the grass gets in the morning can affect your bodily systems. Also, keep in mind that you've been asleep most of the time we've been here."

That statement struck a chord with Peter and he licked his lips, glancing around the campfire. Everyone was out of earshot, which made Peter relaxed enough to ask a question, "How long have we've been here?"

As Dr. Strange started to open his mouth to reply with an answer, Peter shook his head rapidly and gave the doctor a hard stare. "And don't even think about lying to me. I may only be fifteen, but I'm not a child. I can take the cold, hard truth."

Dr. Strange stiffened slightly, and so did Bucky from where he was sitting beside Peter. Bucky massaged his temples with one hand, inadvertently blocking his eyes from Peter. Dr. Strange cleared his throat slightly and stared down at his own feet, which had begun to shake slightly. Peter's body tensed up and his spidey-senses moaned.

That wasn't a good sign.

"A week, Peter," Strange managed to choke out. Peter's eyes widened in disbelief and his jaw dropped so far he was convinced someone would have to reattach it with a tub of superglue and a needle with thread. When the warlock lifted his head, his eyes were swimming with unshed tears. "We've been stuck on this place for a week."

Peter's vision suddenly began to blacken and he started to inhale short, sharp breaths. Peter's hands curled in on themselves, clutching at the dirt, dust, and grass underneath his fingertips. There was noises...people's voices? Peter wasn't sure anymore. Everything was blurry, fuzzy, just absolute static. His vision began to go blurry and his whole body felt like it was shaking.

Finally, Peter couldn't handle it anymore, and he let himself be taken away by the blissful darkness.

* * *

 _Peter clutched at Aunt May's hand with one white-knuckled fist; the other one was holding the pitch black umbrella they had bought that morning above their heads, blocking the torrential rain from hitting them. Being the only two people left in the small graveyard, they weren't afraid to let all their emotions out. Let them all be bare. May's beautiful makeup she had spent hours on that morning was already streaming down her cheeks, and Peter's hair which he had groomed to perfection was all ratted out. Ben had liked order, so they had tried their best. But he also liked it when they were genuine. And that was them being genuine._

 _That was them being broken._

 _"W-What are we g-going to do n-now?" sniffed Peter, his interlocked hand tightening significantly. "First m-my parents...now B-Ben…" He let out a strangled sob and the umbrella shook in his grasp. "I-I just c-can't handle this anymore...a-all this d-death."_

 _"Sometimes life throws us curve balls," May choked out, leaning her head against Peter's shoulder. "We just have to learn how to become star catchers." She gasped slightly, and shook her head. "Sweet molasses, I'm starting to sound like Ben."_

 _"You're just figuring this out?" Peter managed to snort, feeling better as a laugh substituted the sobs that had been occupying his body. "What about 'with great power comes great responsibility'?"_

 _"I thought I saw it on a documentary!" May argued, and the two sad souls, one an orphan, the other a widow, found some happiness even in the dreary day._

* * *

"Peter Parker, I swear if you are dead, I am going to make Strange raise you back to life and then kill you again myself."

Peter sniffed slightly and moaned, his headache now worse than ever. Maybe blacking out wasn't the smartest move in his play-book.

He blinked his eyes open, and the sun was now being blocked by clouds...unless, they weren't clouds...those were leaves…?

He rubbed his eyes and forcefully blinked until his vision was cleared up. He was no longer by the campfire. Instead, he was surrounded by beautiful trees, with rough brown trunks and the brightest green leaves he had ever seen in his entire life. The ground underneath Peter was slightly mushy; comfortable, but slightly disturbing. Why, exactly, was it mushy? He widened his range of vision and caught a figure leaning over him. There was long, shoulder-length dark brown hair and their face was slightly roughed up, with tiny welts all across it. Peter felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

"Hey Bucky," he said weakly, and Bucky gave a sigh of relief, mumbling something underneath his breath. Peter wasn't too sure what it was, but it sounded like Russian. The super soldier rubbed his face wearily and sent Peter a wide smile. "Where are we? I kind of liked that campfire…"

Bucky laughed and Peter chuckled quietly under his breath. "First, let's get you sitting up straight. It'll help the concussion."

Peter nodded, the back of his head aching terribly, and grabbed Bucky's outstretched hand. The two maneuvered themselves until Peter had his back up against one of the trees. With that angle, Peter was able to see all around them. Dr. Strange and T'Challa were standing underneath a different tree, each of them carrying the same welts that Bucky had. The rest of the group were scattered underneath different types of foliage (Peter was almost positive that he saw Groot and the other Peter sitting underneath a shrub a couple of feet away). There was a heavy rainstorm all around them. Even with Peter's heightened hearing ability, he couldn't hear what anybody was saying.

Bucky slid down beside Peter, letting out a heavy sigh. "So, currently, we are within the tree line right by the campfire."

Peter casted his mind back to the small place he already considered his new 'home away from home'. He remembered seeing the lush green trees, the ones as tall as skyscrapers. Peter nodded his head in confirmation, wanting Bucky to continue on with his tale.

"Well, after you had another anxiety attack," Bucky began, and Peter blushed slightly, turning his head away in embarrassment, "we were just going to go start exploring when it started to do this rain. Except, whenever it touched one of us, it burned like nobody's business. So, we gathered up everything as quickly as possible and started to head towards the trees. By then the rain was falling hard. It started to burn through our clothes and that's why we're all carrying welts somewhere on our body. Strange, T'Challa, and I covered you as best as we could so you wouldn't get hit by anything."

"Thank you," Peter put in quietly, and Bucky nodded before ruffling up Peter's hair. That made the teenager groan in frustration, which then made the super soldier smirk. "Do you know what kind of rain this is? Are we just allergic to it or something?"

"It's acid rain," Bucky said in exasperation. "Out of all of the planets we end up stuck on, we end up with the one that has acid rain." He gestured above them towards the trees. "Strange thinks that the living things here-the grass, the trees, the bushes, for example-are all used to the rain, so they're kind of...immune to it? They don't get burned up or shrivel and die, so right now, they're our umbrellas."

Peter hummed in acknowledgement, and the two sat quiet for a moment, watching as the acid rain fell through the cracks in the treeline to the ground below. Dr. Strange had been right, Peter figured out. He watched a single drop of 'rain' fall onto a piece of moss below. It didn't sizzle or become a black, charred mess; it simply stooped over a little bit and obtained a darker shade of what it was. It was simply wet. Suddenly, a thought popped into Peter's head.

"What about that thing we saw last night…?" Peter stated, licking his lips slightly. Had it been last night? His mind was so dizzy that nothing seemed to connect correctly anymore.

"Last night," Bucky told him reassuringly, and Peter let out a sigh of relief. Bucky continued on, saying, "That's what Wanda asked Dr. Strange as well. He didn't have a clue. When she asked T'Challa and Vision, they told her they had never heard of a creature like that before." He rubbed his hand wearily over his face. "Some moments I wish Thanos would have just killed us and made it simple."

"The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity, James Buchanan Barnes."

Peter was really proud of himself when he didn't flinch. Bucky tensed up slightly, and everyone seemed more annoyed than scared. The bright light from last night appeared from behind a tree, a soft hazy glow surrounding her. Dr. Strange, from across the way, managed a smirk and cocked an eyebrow at the light maiden.

"Douglas Horton," the sorcerer said, and Peter was a hundred percent sure that the light maiden was smirking. "You know Earth clergymen?"

"As I told Peter Benjamin Parker once before, Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange, I know all of those who deal among my realities," the light responded, and it turned slowly towards Peter. "Peter Benjamin Parker, you seem to be in worse condition then before. Has Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange not cured you of your ailments?"

"I'm afraid humans don't work like that," Peter winced, rubbing the back of his head. He paused and grinned sheepishly. "You are an alien, right…?"

The light was still and silent for a moment. Then, very softly, the light responded with, "I am not sure what I am."

Then, as if extinguished by a sharp burst of wind, the light faded completely. Peter blinked his eyes, dark spots still in his line of sight. He rubbed them with clenched fists before looking back towards where the light was. In the light's stead stood a relatively average girl, 5'4" or 5'5" if Peter had to properly guess. She was mature, radiant. There was a sort of otherworldly beauty to her (no pun intended at all). Judging by her physical appearance, she looked to be in her early twenties (by Earth's standards). Her hair was ratted, braided, and wavy all at the same time. She reminded Peter of a wood nymph or Hermione Granger from that one popular book series. Speaking of her hair, it was the most unnatural color. It was blood-red, a pulsing, vibrant color that made Peter's head burn the more he looked at it. She had a simple white dress on; silky and smooth. Her skin was pale as snow and surprisingly, her feet were bare. And they were touching the ground.

"I am Groot," the talking tree put in, pointing a knobby finger towards the girl. She looked down and a faint blush formed on her face. She bit her lower lip and Peter found it immensely attractive.

His eyes widened in disbelief and he immediately stopped looking at the girl, looking anywhere besides her. He could not have a crush on a talking alien light that turned out to be an attractive wood nymph who could walk, despite what she had mentioned before.

"I am aware I made that statement, yes," the girl murmured, wiggling her toes for emphasis. She coughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck. "I...um...told a fib, so to speak, Groot the Tree."

"Ok, so you can speak Groot," Peter Quill snipped, raising an eyebrow tauntingly. "That's now one more thing that we didn't know about you."

"That is correct, Peter Jason Quill. I need to know all the languages that exist in my realities," the girl stated, cocking her head slightly as if her statement made perfect sense. "Did I not make that clear earlier?"

"C-Can we ask you some questions now?" Peter interrupted, wanting to defuse the situation that even he could tell was brewing. The girl turned to look at him and his ears began to burn from the intensity of her gaze. She gave a simple nod and Peter let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "W-What's your name?"

"That is a strange first question, Peter Benjamin Parker," the girl commented, a small smile on her lips. Peter awkwardly smiled in return. "My name is Aether."

Vision, who happened to be under the same tree as Aether, looked startled and his optics widened in disbelief. Peter gave a worried glance towards Bucky, who returned to stare.

"Vis, what's wrong?" Wanda asked tentatively, and Peter tried not to look amazed. Since they had arrived, he hadn't heard Wanda speak at all. Part of him was even convinced that she couldn't speak and Vision was just excellent at reading lips. The scarlet witch placed a hand on the android's shoulder and her eyes flashed red briefly. Her lips parted in a silent 'oh' of shock, and Vision nodded towards her.

"The Asgardians used to refer to the Reality Stone as the Aether," Vision announced to everyone, and Peter was sure that his heart skipped a beat. The android turned towards Aether and gave her a slight nod. "Apologies that I don't find that coincidental."

The girl shook her head and responded with, "It is not coincidental at all, Vision Once JARVIS. After all, the Reality Stone was named after myself. I am its creator."

That statement sent a ripple of shock throughout the entire group. Peter's hands unintentionally latched onto Bucky's, his Spidey-strength coming back to him now that he was more awake and scared. Bucky squeezed his hand back in return, a thick, determined grimace on his scruffy face. Adrenaline coursed through Peter's veins and he licked his lips hesitantly, his eyes darting towards the rest of his companions to see what their next move would be.

Most of them seemed confused or surprised, but it was Dr. Strange's reaction that caused Peter to feel slightly frightened.

Strange looked annoyed.

"When the world collided into existence, that is when the Infinity Stones were created," the surgeon argued, taking a daring step forward. T'Challa's reflexes reacted and caught the doctor before he could step out into the acid rain that was still pouring with gusto. The Sorcerer Supreme shrugged off the King of Wakanda's hand and glared towards Aether. "No higher being created them. No higher being could create them."

"Is that so, Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange?" Aether sniffed haughtily, looking as if she was fighting the urge to roll her eyes. An angry twitch developed in Strange's right eye. "You yourself have come in contact with one of these…'higher beings'...as you have called us. You know him as Agamotto."

Strange's mouth opened and closed rapidly, and it reminded Peter of a fish that was torn away from the water. Dr. Strange's hand floated up to where his necklace was, where the Time Stone had once been stored. Peter remembered the eerie glow it had given off, the green light that looked like something straight out of a horror film. Peter was jolted out of his daydreaming when Strange choked out, "B-But...he is a Vishanti. He is not…"

"Is he though?" Aether interrupted him, waving her hand dismissively. "Just because, Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange, you were told one thing by many who believed, that does not make it true."

That seemed to thoroughly shut the wizard up and he re-took his place beside T'Challa, hanging his head in defeat. Aether smirked and Peter felt his heartbeat increase again. Why did someone that good looking have to be so scary and deadly as well?

The girl took a deep breath before saying, "Apologies, Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange. I lost my temper, something that does not happen often. So, for that, I am truly sorry. But, yes. All the Infinity Stones were created by these 'higher beings' as you call them. To each other, we are known as the Celestials."

"Who are these others?" Bucky called out, tilting his head in a bit of confusion. Peter sent him a look that basically said 'I relate'. "They're the creators of the other stones?"

"That is correct, James Buchannan Barnes," Aether told him, nodding once to him. "The others go by these names: Tesseract, Agamotto, Sceptra, Orbous, and Gamoul. They are the creators of the Space, Time, Mind, Power, and Soul stones, respectively."

Everyone was quiet for a minute or more, letting all the information sink it. Peter felt as if his whole life had been ripped apart and then sewn back together messily. His life…

"C-Can we just talk a-about the elephant in the room?" Peter gulped, licking his lips. "A-Are we dead or were we dead…?"

Peter's heart nearly stopped when Aether shook her head.

"Peter Benjamin Parker, you were never close to death. You were right where we Celestials wanted you to be."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. I wanted to make sure it sounded clear and precise and that it hit my 4,000 word marker that I set for myself.**

 **PrincessStarberry, spidermanpls, perish-the-thoughtless: I love Bucky/Peter broship (the friendship kind) too! It's a unique angle that I think totally needs to happen in the MCU.**

 **Qwertywerido: Nah, I don't mind any spam :) I'm glad you like this story!**

 **Hope you all enjoy and please review! I love hearing how you guys find closure with this story (I know I do XD).**


	4. Bucky Barnes - Friðrheim

_Bucky Barnes_

Bucky's grip on Peter's hand went slack and his entire body went numb. All the stress that he had been carrying, all the panic, pain, and fear that had been pent up inside of him, the stuff he had been carrying deep inside ever since he woke up in the strange world, completely dissipated. Bucky heard a sniffle beside himself and turned quickly, only to find Peter's tear-stained face pressed up against his metal arm. Usually, Bucky was persistent that no one touched his metal arm; he didn't want to hurt them. But with Peter, watching the young boy not even bothering with hiding his apparent relief, Bucky just had to smile at that. From around the group, Bucky could hear and see how joyful and relieved they all were. Wanda's face was in her hands, and Vision's arms were wrapped comfortingly around her. T'Challa and Dr. Strange were hugging each other tightly, a triumph grin on both of their faces (despite the fact that Aether had just disproved everything that Dr. Strange believed to be true about the Eye of Agamotto). The Guardians of the Galaxy were celebrating in their own, little unique way (since two of them were currently trapped underneath a shrub). Aether was the only one who looked puzzled.

"Have I missed something, Heroes Against Thanos?" Aether asked, cocking her head slightly. "Why are you all celebrating? Was there a joyful occasion that I was not made aware of?"

"Relief, Aether," Bucky rasped, feeling his own eyes begin to water. He hastily brushed his human hand across his face. He was the Winter Soldier, for crying out loud! He didn't get emotional. "We're just...relieved."

"I see," came her short reply. She seemed to fidget off to the side, and Bucky could tell she was beginning to feel uncomfortable in the silence that followed. All the sentiment seemed to bug her as well.

Suddenly, her head perked up and Aether's eyes widened. She reached a hand out, away from the safety of the acid-proof trees. Bucky opened his mouth to say something, to try and prevent her from getting burned. Vision seemed to catch onto her plan and tried to make a grab for her. However, none of that was really necessary. By the time she reached her hand out, there was no more rain to burn her.

"The weather has stopped," Aether announced, nodding to the group as a whole. "If you want to come with me, I can take you to the village. There, you can rest, bathe, and receive a new change of clothes, if you so wish to."

"As much as we'd love to," Sam began, eyeing the damp grass in front of him warily, "I'm afraid we might have to pass. I don't think we can walk across this without our shoes being burnt off."

Aether gave a noise of recognition, then shook her head slightly, a small smile forming on her lips. "As soon as the rain hits this dirt, it loses all its acidity. In short, simple terms, Samuel Thomas Wilson, you will not be injured anymore."

 _ **She could have said that in the first place,**_ the Asset grumbled angrily inside Bucky's mind. The super soldier gritted his teeth and shook his head, trying to catapult his other half away. Bucky had to say, however, that he agreed with the Asset. Aether's way of speaking not only was long and over-complicated, but also slightly vague.

Bucky pushed himself up onto his feet, happy to have the numbness of sitting down too long slowly fade away. He held a hand out to Peter, and the teenager gladly accepted it. Peter was wobbly on his feet, and Bucky wrapped an arm around his shoulders, steadying the younger man. Peter, after a few short, awkward moments, wrapped his own arm around Bucky's torso, anchoring himself even more so. Bucky was slow and cautious in his steps, making sure that Peter could take them. The mutant proved himself to be strong, despite all that had happened to him, and they quickly fell in line in front of Aether. The rest of the heroes followed shortly. Directly behind Bucky was Dr. Strange and T'Challa, each of them looking concernedly towards Peter. Strange's hands fidgeted at his sides and Bucky could tell he was resisting the urge to probe the back of Peter's head for anymore injuries.

"So, we're not dead," Peter suddenly stated, nodding his head slightly. "That means we have to be located somewhere, and I'm pretty sure there's nowhere on Earth that rains acid rain...so, where are we?" Behind the duo, T'Challa hummed in agreement and Bucky nodded as well. He had forgotten to ask that question when they were all caught up in the Infinity Stone madness.

"Well, in order to tell that, Heroes Against Thanos, I will need to give you a bit of history," Aether confessed as she turned around. She waved a dainty, pale hand and instantly, a narrow dirt path appeared upon the forest floor. Bucky tensed up and Peter even jumped; the young lad instantly denied it even though no one had accused him of it. "Are you willing to listen?"

Bucky was positive they all nodded eagerly. Though her back was turned away from them, Aether began to speak once more as they began their walk down the path.

"As some of you may know, there are Nine Realms that exist: Niflheim, the world of fog and mist, Muspelheim, the land of fire, Asgard, the home of the gods, Midgard, the home of the humans, Jotunheim, home of the giants, Vanaheim, home of the Vanir, Alfheim, home of the light elves, Svartalfheim, home of the dwarves and dark elves, and Helfheim, home of the dishonorable dead. We are in none of those. We are in a realm that exists outside of those realms: it is called Friðrheim."

"Land of peace," Vision put in from somewhere behind Bucky. Aether nodded briefly.

"That is correct, Vision Once Jarvis. Now, as a realm outside of other realms, Friðrheim is like a sanctuary to those in needs. Anyone who is injured or on the run may come, which is why you all are able to stay on this planet without our defenses killing you before you took a single breath," Aether continued on. She casted a mischievous look over her shoulder. "Why do you think it didn't rain until now?"

Peter inhaled sharply beside Bucky and the older man rolled his eyes. This was all a little bit much to take in at once, he had to admit, but it was obvious how hard the Spider-kid was crushing on the Celestial.

"While Friðrheim is the land of peace, we will engage whenever necessary," Aether pressed on. "That is why we have been able to access the weather on this planet, manipulating it to best fit out interests. The other Celestials live within this realm too, only on different planets. We are having a gathering within a couple of days; perhaps then you will meet them all."

"I don't mean to be rude, Ms. Aether, but we need to get back to Earth," Maria Hill argued. Bucky tensed. He had completely forgotten she was with the group; that many supers were hard to keep track of. "Thanos is still raging a war and we need to be apart of it. We simply can't stay that long."

"Unfortunately, you will have to, Maria Cobie Hill," Aether grunted. From the back, Bucky could see the tension and frustration plaguing her muscles. The woman paused briefly and glared evilly over her shoulder. "There is no way off this world unless you get the Celestials permission."

The next part was so quiet and faint that Bucky was sure only those with super advanced senses could have actually heard it.

"Believe me. I've tried."

* * *

Bucky's limbs were crying out from exhaustion by the time they exited the forest (apparently known around those parts as the Forest of the Fallen Foes). Peter had long since nodded off, now resting upon T'Challa back. Him, Bucky, and Sam had all volunteered to carry the young boy around after Bucky noticed he was asleep; the rest of the group insisted that they weren't comfortable around teenagers. Groot, on the contrary, followed closely to wherever Peter went, making sure he didn't slip off when one of them were distracted by something. It warmed Bucky's heart slightly and also made him feel a bit confused: did the talking tree even have emotions?

"How's the little punk doing?" a voice called out, jarring Bucky out of his thoughts. At first, the super soldier was sure it was the Asset speaking to him, until his eyes cleared and he realized it was merely Peter Quill, the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Bucky had never personally spoken with the part-human part-alien before, both of them keeping to their own separate groups. Quill shifted on his feet and stared past Bucky towards the sleeping mutant. "This adventure tuckering him out?"

Bucky simply nodded in return. He was too tired for conversation-making, but it seemed like Quill was doing a fine job at keeping the conversation going for the two of them.

"He's got to be what...fifteen, sixteen?" Quill continued on, placing his hands on his hips. "How did he even get wound up in this entire mess?"

"Thanos' ship attacked New York, where he was living," Dr. Strange told Quill, jumping into the conversation. Bucky gave the doctor a thankful glance, and Strange smirked slightly. "He was Queens' personal superhero: the Spiderman."

"Was he born with it?" Quill asked, lowering his voice slightly when they all noticed Peter shifting around. Strange only answered him when Peter had returned to his still position.

"No, not that I am aware of," the surgeon concluded. "Last I heard from Stark, he was on a school trip when a radioactive spider bit him. He now holds all the same abilities that a spider does: the ability to climb any surfaces, fly through the air on webs, super-strength, heightened senses, incredible balance and equilibrium, and more. He is truly remarkable."

"Seems like everybody from Earth is a superhero now," remarked Quill, rubbing the back of his neck with his palm. "What happened to it?"

Bucky blocked out most of the conversation, instead taking longer steps in order to match stride with Aether, who was leading the group out of the forest. There were rolling hills all in front of them, matching those that had surrounded one-half of the campsite. The Celestial made her awareness of Bucky known through a small twitch of her nose, but ignored his presence even so. Bucky was fine with that. Gave him some time to think.

 _ **U** **gh, enough thinking, Barnes. It is utterly sickening. Don't you remember and cherish the times when we didn't have to make a single decision? It was all made for us?**_ the Asset growled, howling at the end of his sentence for dramatic effect. Bucky reached up and massaged his temple with one hand, pointedly ignoring his Hyde-like half.

"You are plagued with a monster, James Buchanan Barnes."

Bucky glanced briefly over his shoulder at Aether, who was still looking straight ahead. The Winter Soldier shrugged and returned his gaze back towards the front, watching out for any potholes in the thick grassy hill. "You must know what happened, if you are indeed the creator of the Reality stone."

"While that is true, James Buchanan Barnes, I have found throughout my lifetime that not one living being likes it when I tell them what has happened to themselves," Aether replied, her hand briefly hovering over his shoulder as she tried to navigate her way through a particular stubborn patch of ferns. A slight spark jumped from Aether's hand and it raced up Bucky's shoulder, landing straight in his heart. He took a shuddery breath and kept his gaze forward, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder at her again. "So, if you want to, I am here to listen to your predicament."

"I don't," Bucky growled, taking a large step away from Aether. He needed to keep his head clear; there was something about the Celestial that made it all fuddled. Bucky personally felt betrayed by his emotions. They actually liked it when he was all confused and fuddled.

Bucky backed away from Aether and headed back towards the group.

* * *

Bucky made a point to avoid Aether and stayed close to Peter, wherever the boy was. He woke up shortly after Bucky returned to the group, his mind slightly bogged down by sleep but it was apparent he was slowly growing better. His reflexes were getting sharper, if that was even possible, and his stuttering was rapidly decelerating. The teenage mutant preferred to stay by Bucky's side, which he didn't mind. It made protecting him that much easier. Bucky also made sure not to mention the spark between him and Aether to anyone. While he personally didn't think it was important, he could tell by the way that Peter looked at Aether that his crush wasn't going to go anywhere anytime soon.

It was another hour before they rounded the top of a hill to find the village at the bottom of the hill. It was beautifully rustic for a distant realm, Bucky thought to himself. The homes were constructed out of chiseled stones and wooden logs. Smoke curled out of the chimneys like smoke out of a dragon's nose. It gave the whole village a homey feeling, something that Bucky hadn't felt in a while. Not since his little hut in Wakanda.

There was a little archway at the end of the path that Aether was leading them on. Bucky took a wild guess and assumed that was the entrance to the little town. An older man, someone who looked to be Bucky's real age (around ninety-six) was standing underneath the arch, holding tightly onto a wobbly cane. He was clothed in a long-sleeved, hooded robe with sandals covering his thin, bony feet. Long, pure white hair cascaded off the man's face and all around his head. There were lines permanently etched into his face, the wrinkles truly displaying how old the man was. Peter leaned over to Bucky.

"How is he even standing up?" the teen whispered, his eyes widening slightly from shock. "That guy is ancient!"

"Why do I personally feel offended by that comment?" Bucky teased him, shoving him with his shoulder. "Let me tell you, Pal, I'm that old." Peter blushed hard at that comment and began blubbering, trying to apologize. Bucky just laughed and he heard Quill chuckling behind them. Once they reached the gates, they all spread out into one singular line horizontally, giving the elder a full view of their company.

Aether sank to one knee, dipping her head in respect. Almost immediately, everyone else followed suit. If a Celestial was bowing to another person, they better do that too. As they rose back up, the elder flicked his knobby, wrinkled fingers towards Peter. Two armed guards stepped out from the shadows of the archway and headed towards Peter with determined looks on their faces. Peter's eyes widened in fear and he began to visibly tremble.

"Yo man, back up!" Sam ordered, taking a defensive step towards Peter. He held his hand out, preventing the guard from coming within an arm's length of the boy. "You ain't taking him anywhere!"

"Relax, Samuel Thomas Wilson," Aether snorted, rolling her eyes. She raised an eyebrow in amusement. "They are simply taking them to the village's healers. There, he'll be cured of all his ailments." She continued on with her speech, talking about how the healers were the best in all the cosmos, but Bucky tuned her out when he felt Peter's fingers slip into his own. Bucky gently squeezed, making sure that he wasn't hurting Peter. As the guards took another step closer, Bucky heard a new voice call out.

"I am Groot."

Bucky glanced down the line towards Groot, where the tree had taken a step forward. There was a distant fire in the tree's eyes, and his jaw was tight with determination. The tree repeated its earlier statement, "I am Groot," and looked towards Aether as if daring her to challenge him. Quill, who happened to be standing on Bucky's other side, whispered into the space between them, "Groot is volunteering to go with Peter to the healers so that way one of us is with him at all times."

"Is he even capable of doing that?" Bucky hissed back in reply, his gaze moving back towards the elder and Aether. A vein in the girl's neck popped out violently, and she was clenching her jaw so hard that it looked as if she might break a couple of teeth. The elder, on the other hand, had an amused look in his eyes. He gave one simple nod and the two soldiers took a step back.

Peter looked up at Bucky with fear and a hint of worry. Bucky tried his best to send the boy a reassuring smile, before gently ushering him towards the guards. Groot followed Peter, the tree seeming a bit bulkier then he had before, and the quartet walked down towards the village. Peter glanced back behind his shoulder and Bucky gave him a thumbs-up. Peter sent back a small smile and a thumbs-up of his own.

He was going to be fine. Peter was Spider-Man; he could handle interdimensional space healers on a foreign realm.

Oh, they were all doomed.

* * *

 **A/N: It is official. This story, which has now four chapters, has 98 Favs, 155 Followers, and 33 reviews. Way more followers than my other story, Solace's Wings (also an Avengers' Fanfic if y'all wanna check that out) that has 39 chapters XD. I'm really glad a bunch of y'all like this story.**

 **Luckias: Here is some Peter Quill for ya! I'll try and add more Dr. Strange in the next chapter with Peter :)**

 **HeCallsMeBeloved: Congratulations! Your comment has made my Top 5 Best Comments Ever! List XD. Thank you so much, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside whenever I get a comment like that (cause I try so hard :D).**

 **perish-the-thoughtless: I'm glad you like the story line! I'm already coming up with new ideas and I'm super pumped!**

 **Also, for anyone who wanted to know: I face-cast Lily Collins as Aether (but with her Mortal Instruments hair color).**

 **Please, favorite, follow, and review! :D Enjoy!**


	5. Peter Parker - Defense

_Peter Parker_

Peter Parker, also known as Spiderman to the people of Queens, a borough within the lovely state of New York, which was situated on the coast of North America, a well-known continent on Earth, inside the beautiful realm of Midgard, was utterly and completely terrified of doctors. It wasn't the name in of itself; he wasn't scared of Dr. Bruce Banner, the gentle giant as Peter liked to call him. It wasn't even their goal that Peter was terrified of; he loved the idea of people going out of their way to help heal those in need.

He just didn't like the equipment they used, such as needles, scalpels, etc. Even thinking about them gave him the chills.

So, one could imagine Peter's absolute terror when it turned out the little cabin that the guards had led him to wasn't a tiny cabin, but, in fact, a vast complex doctor's office.

He wasn't exactly too enthused.

"I am Groot," Groot commented from behind the young man, the tree's dark brown orbs widening in surprise as the two took in their new surroundings. Everything was high-tech, way past Earth's technology (and that was including the technology that Tony Stark had built and all the vibranium gear in Wakanda). There were deep grooves within the walls and the floor, and every so often a flash of light would streak up the stem and disappear into a dark hexagon. All the lights were glowing, hovering orbs, just like the ones attached to Mantis' antennae.

All the equipment was also hovering. Like, as in, not touching the floor. Whether it was cots, lights, medical instruments, or even a stool, the only thing touching the cool, solid floor was Peter, Groot, the guards, and the doctors all around him. Doctors...

They had frozen as soon as the duo and guards had entered the room, none of them daring to speak. They were much different from Aether in many ways. While she had fiery red hair, theirs resembled more of a mix between black and a dark brown. While she was pale, they were tan with weird hieroglyphs scrawled onto their arms, legs, and faces. They each wore a pair of slip-on shoes made of leather, tan khakis, long white tunics.

One of the doctors, a woman with a marking of what looked like a heart and a line tattooed onto her forehead, took a step forward. Like Aether, she had this otherworldly beauty to her. She bowed her head politely to the group and spoke with a soft, calming voice that nearly put Peter to sleep.

" _Bonswa, mistidens ta ċelestjali_ ," the woman spoke, bowing her head once more. It was only when Groot tightened his hand on Peter's shoulder some more that the younger boy realized he had been dozing off.

"I-I'm sorry, b-but I d-don't know what y-you're saying," Peter stuttered, cursing himself mentally. First in front of Aether, then in front of this woman. Would he ever be able to speak to pretty girls without stuttering?

"Hello, guests of the Celestial," the woman translated, her English flawless. She did, however, have a bit of an accent which surprised Peter. It was a mix between French and Russian, an odd combination, but it still had the alluring, drowsy qualities that it had when spoken in that foreign language. Groot was the only thing keeping him grounded (which caused Peter to chuckle quietly to himself when he realized he had made a pun. That had to mean he was one step to being better). "My name is Qalba. I am the head healer here on our beautiful realm of Friðrheim. If I am correct, Aether has sent you here in order to recuperate from your sudden injuries?"

"That's right," Peter told her, just as Groot mumbled something quietly under his breath. As far as Peter was concerned, it didn't affect him. All the lumbering tree said was, "I am Groot," and it wasn't like he was going to understand the alien any time soon. "I'm Peter Parker, and this is my…" He paused. What exactly was Groot? His friend? An acquaintance? "A friend of a friend of mine, Groot."

"Welcome Peter Parker and Groot," Qalba grinned. She took a step backwards and gestured her hand towards a floating cot, which had suddenly materialized behind the many row of doctors. They all stepped back, leaving Peter a clear few of what was happening. And all the strange metal tools lying right next to the bed. "Please sit, Peter, and we shall begin in a moment."

"W-What exactly are y-you planning on doing?" Peter gulped, licking his lips. The hair on the back of his neck was standing straight out, but his spidey-senses weren't even tickling him. He was getting more mixed signals than when he tried to have a conversation with a teenage girl. Peter stepped back hesitantly, and the guards around him tensed, their muscles bulging ferociously. Groot's hand-grip (root-grip?) tightened up and the tree even snarled a bit, taking a dangerous step forward towards Qalba.

"I am Groot," he rumbled, his voice dropping an octave or two. As if to prove his point, the tree literally grew in front of Peter. As in, moved up a couple of feet. Groot went from being around Peter's height to Thor's height, who was nearly 6'3". His shoulders grew wider, his whole self generally thicker, and his legs actually grew roots which dug their way into the ground, anchoring him to the earth. The tiles all around his feet cracked and bulged, as if threatening to shatter as soon as somebody touched them.

Something that resembled fear flashed behind Qalba's eyes, but she shook it off and responded with, "I am afraid I do not speak your language, Groot. Whatever you are saying, you must speak it in English or the ancient language of…"

" _Jekk inti anke tibda taħseb li tagħmel ħsara lil xagħar wieħed fuq rasha, jiena ser nuruk fury,_ " Groot growled, his tongue clicking as he spoke words Peter had never heard before.

The room became so silent that Peter began to pinpoint all the doctors' individual heartbeats. Their jaws were all parted slightly, as if they couldn't believe what they had just heard. Qalba's expression reminded Peter of when Aether completely debunked Dr. Strange's theory about the Infinity stones. The woman's mouth opened and closed, her eyes blinking rapidly.

"Y-You speak the ancient language of our realm?" she managed to choke out, licking her lips in uncertainty. Groot, how it was possible Peter didn't know, simply raised an eyebrow and responded with, "I am Groot."

There was an awkward silence, this time filled with low murmurs and worried glances sent towards Peter's and Groot's direction. The young mutant sent the alien tree a confused glance, to which the tree looked at him with a reassuring smile. It reminded the boy of the one Bucky had sent him before he had been escorted away by the guards. That helped put out the fear that had been swirling.

"W-We have decided to postpone the appointment, until you feel more...relaxed within our ranks," Qalba eventually told Peter, never once looking in Groot's direction. "Guards, you may take the boy and his...tree...and return them to the lodge where their male companions are staying."

As they were being escorted out (Peter took note of how they were no longer holding tightly onto them, but rather, taking care to stay a distance away), Peter leaned over to Groot and whispered, "What did you say to her?"

Groot responded with a knowing smile and replied, "I am Groot."

* * *

The moment Peter stepped foot into the large, tepee-like tent where the males of his group were waiting, he was engulfed in bear hugs coming from all directions. Peter choked slightly at the sudden weight of everyone on him, and they immediately began to back off, muttering and murmuring apologies all over the place.

To say that everyone looked different would be the understatement of the year. Most of them wore the same base outfit: black slate shirt with a pair of sturdy pants and tall black boots. What was on the outside is what made everyone's outfits unique. Some wore standard armor, like Bucky and Sam. Others had specialties that made their outfits set apart from the others. Vision, for instance, wore no armor, only a red and dark green tunic with a shimmering golden cape. Also, his skin wasn't the typical red-and-green Vibranium that Peter was used to. It was now a tanned-peach color, and there was a single gold jewel at the center of his forehead. If Peter had to guess anything, it was where the Mind Stone used to rest. Dr. Strange also looked the same, with the exception of some armor and his Cloak of Levitation wrapped securely around his neck.

T'Challa, dressed in armor that reminded Peter of the Black Panther suit the man usually wore, placed a gentle hand on the small of Peter's back and lead him through the crowd of men to a small cot located in the back of the tepee. On it was the black shirt, pants, and boots, along with two belts, a breastplate, metal shin guards, metal forearm guards, and, to top it all off, a blue vest that hugged his frame, making him seem bulkier than he was, tied together with red string. A match made in heaven itself.

All the older men gave Peter his privacy as he changed, but he did call Bucky and Groot over to help him put the armor on. Bucky, because the man had done it to himself already, and Groot, because something about the tree gave Peter a calming feeling. Once that was all secured, there was a ringing noise at the front of the tepee. Sam's head shot up from where he was lying down on one of the cot's and he raised his eyebrow to the roof.

"Was that a doorbell?" he asked incredulously, leaning precariously on his cot to try and see who was at the door. "How can there be a doorbell on a tepee?" Fury rolled his eyes and Dr. Strange walked forward, pushing the flap to the side with his palm. In front of him was a guard, one very similar to those who had brought Groot and Peter to this tent.

" _Il-Ċelesti, Aether, jixtieq jitkellem miegħek, flimkien mal-kumpanni nisa tiegħek_ ," the guard spoke harshly, and Groot sniffed haughtily towards the man, something that did not go unnoticed by Peter. The younger boy pretended to cough into his elbow in order to hide his snort and smile. In return to the man's not-so-pleasant tone, Groot growled back into the foreign language, causing just about every single person's jaws to drop (all except Peter, who had already done that earlier in the day).

"You can speak another language?" Quill asked indignantly, his gaze moving up and down his friend. He blinked a couple of times, probably figuring out that Groot had indeed grown taller than when they had last seen each other. "You told us you only spoke Groot!"

"I am Groot."

"We never asked if you could speak other languages?" Quill huffed, a bit of disbelief and mocking in his tone. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure we did! Drax, did we ever ask him?"

"Nope."

"So not helping right now, man."

Peter chuckled aloud, which caused some of the men to turn and look at him. Bucky, in particular, smirked.

"Let me guess, squirt, you already knew this," Bucky stated, gesturing towards Quill who was still preoccupied with the disbelief of Groot's language-speaking capabilities. Peter, in return to Bucky's question, nodded his head once.

"It was how Groot got me out of that…" Peter shivered once, not being able to help himself, "... _healer's_...cabin. I-I sort of got really uncomfortable, so Groot stepped in and I think...threatened her? I'm not entirely sure; he said it all in the 'ancient language'."

"Ancient language of what?" Fury demanded, resting his hands on his hips. He was dressed more like a stylized civilian of Friðrheim rather than any type of soldier. Over the darkest of tunics and pitch-black trousers, he wore a black trench coat. _Not intimidating at all..._ Peter thought nervously to himself.

"If I may interrupt, Mr. Fury," Vision suddenly said, inserting himself into the conversation. By now, most of the men were all huddled together, besides Quill and Groot, who were still arguing. "I believe that it is the ancient language of Friðrheim. I've cross-referenced the little snippets of language I've heard so far with multiple other languages found on Earth and throughout the Guardians' adventures; it relates to none of them."

"Let's pretend for a second that I am not an android built by Tony Stark and I have no idea what you just said!" growled Fury, flipping around to face Vision. The two men were nearly the same height, but Vision had the extra inch to Fury. While the ex-Director of SHIELD glared at the Vibranium android, Vision was the literal essence of calm. Not one thing about their conversation seemed to frustrate or anger him; if it had, he was doing an excellent job of concealing it (unlike Fury).

"Fury, will you stop being an arrogant jerk for one moment so we can actually focus on the task at hand?" Dr. Strange suddenly yelled, rubbing his temples with two stiff fingers. Peter took a subconscious step towards T'Challa, who happened to be standing right next to him. The king wrapped a secure arm around Peter's shoulders, his gaze still trained on the dialogue in front of them. "Do you realize that none of you have even asked Groot what the guard said?"

That quickly shut the two debaters (along with Groot and Quill) up. Peter was relieved and pleased by the silence. Feeling a new sense of confidence, he strode away from T'Challa's grip and pushed past the crowd, heading straight towards Groot. The tree angled himself towards Peter, but kept a steely-eyed grip on Quill.

"Groot...what did the guard say?" Peter asked.

"I am Groot."

Quill, while gritting his teeth, reluctantly tore his gaze away from Groot and looked towards the rest of the group as a translator. "'The Celestial, Aether, wishes to speak to you, along with your female companions.'"

At the announcement, Vision visibly perked up. Some of the tension in Fury's shoulders went away, and Drax seemed much more interested in the conversation at hand. Bucky looked around at the rest of the group and nodded his head in assurance.

"I think we're ready to go," he admitted. "Let's go see what Aether wants from us now."

* * *

The three females of the group (Mantis, Wanda, and Maria) all rushed over to the group of men as soon as they were in their view. Wanda threw her arms around Vision, digging her face into the crook of Vision's neck as unheard sobs of relief racked her body. Maria stood close to Fury, not touching the man but her relief to be by her former boss was evident, at least to Peter it was. Mantis was huddled close to Drax and Quill, never an arms-length away from them.

And, to top it off, all the females were dressed differently too. Wanda was decked out in a full-length dark red dress that matched her former leather jacket. Her hair had been brushed, braided, and frizzed, so it looked much like Aether's. On her hands were dark red gloves that matched her dress. Maria, on the other hand, wore black leggings, boots, and this elven-looking tunic. On top of that was a mossy gray sleeveless overcoat. A diamond-shaped black corset fit the rest of her outfit. Maria's hair was pulled back into a straight bun, with a few braids leading back into it. A couple of hairs were curled nicely out of the bun, framing her face. Mantis, it seemed, was the only one who had clothes similar to those she had been wearing previously. It was exactly like Maria's, except the gray was replaced with a vibrant green, and her hair was left on its own, straight and flat.

While the girls were getting reacquainted and complimented by the guys, Peter stopped for a moment and turned himself in a circle, getting a better view of the building they were at. It was a mix between the healers' building and the tepee where the men had been stationed. The building itself consisted of tall, wooden poles with dried animal skins stretched across it. What surprised and scared Peter the most was that it was all one animal pelt; not multiple ones like he had been expecting. _I sure hope whatever was killed to make this place doesn't live on Friðrheim,_ Peter thought with a painful shiver. However, the base of the building, I.E. the floor, was a solid rock, like that of the healers' building. Little lights moved all the grooves of the flooring. All the grooves met together at a fireplace in the middle, which was burning slightly. A young girl, maybe a few years younger than Peter, sat with a hooded cloak right by the fire, a metal rod in hand. Every so often she was stoke the fire, and it would burn a little bit brighter. Her back was to Peter, so he couldn't make out her face.

"That is Aasfa," a female voice suddenly whispered in Peter's ear. He let out a yelp of fright and leapt nearly four feet into the air, bumping into Bucky, Sam, and Vision in the process. The three men caught the shaking lad in their hands and Peter sent a weak glare towards Aether, who was chuckling behind her hand. "I did not mean to scare you, Peter Benjamin Parker. I was only wishing to inform you of her identity." She turned and angled her body back towards the fireplace. "Aasfa was brought to Friðrheim before she was a child; her parents were sadly killed by the one thing she has now sworn to protect." Aether gestured forward with her hand towards the fireplace.

"Fire," Wanda put in, and everyone turned their eyes towards her. "Are you saying Aasfa's parents were killed by fire, and she's now protecting it?"

"That is correct, Wanda Elizabeth Maximoff," Aether responded, nodding her head once. "Aasfa, when she was of age, agreed to stay eternally young in order to tend to the living force of Friðrheim: the Fire of Aynulhayat."

"Geez, I don't even understand half the words she's saying," Sam mumbled from behind Peter.

Peter allowed himself to smile and Aether noticed, her neutral face falling into a frown. "This is no laughing matter, Heroes of Thanos. The Fire of Aynulhayat is what keeps all life on Friðrheim...well, alive! We use it to control our weather, to navigate our planet's natural course, everything!"

"What if somebody accidentally drops a bucket of water on the thing?" Bucky asked, gesturing with an elbow towards the fire. "Like, 'whoops! I accidentally just killed an entire realm!'."

"It is much stronger than that," a new voice interrupted, and Peter turned, watching as the little girl from the fire, Aasfa, stood and turned around.

 _Whoa_ , was all that Peter could think. It seemed that everyone on that planet was drop-dead gorgeous (besides the guards; those guys were just creepy). Peter was right in guessing that she was a year or two younger than he was. Her hair was pitch black, so dark that it reminded Peter of Liz's hair, his crush from a couple of years back. Her skin was slightly tanned and she had large, olive-green eyes that were rounded softly, matching her complexion. Peter must have been staring too long, because he felt Bucky slap him upside his head. He grumbled and rubbed the back of his head, shooting Bucky a fierce glare that made the older man grin.

"Perhaps I should say that again," Aasfa giggled, brushing some of her hair away from her face. It was long, reaching towards her waist. "The Fire of Aynulhayat is an eternal flame; it can be moved without faltering, no normal water can ever douse its flames."

"Which means not-normal water can soak it," Dr. Strange interrupted, raising an eyebrow towards the few girls. Peter then noticed that Aether's jaw was tense and her hands were pressed up angrily against each other. Something was off about her; when Dr. Strange talked, it seemed that she wanted nothing more than to shut him up again.

"That is correct, Dr. Strange," Aasfa responded, ignoring Aether's tight stance. "There is a realm that holds the Fountain of Kalakuta: the water of death. Its cool touch is the only thing that can extinguish our flame."

"While this history lesson is interesting and all," Fury suddenly put in, and a groan formed deep within the pit of Peter's gut, but he held it in. "Why did you call us here, Aether? Is there something you need to discuss with us?"

Aether gave herself a quick, short shake, and all the tension seemed to evaporate. "Ah yes, that." She turned to face them, and Peter was pretty sure that was the first time he saw fear and panic within Aether's eyes. "The council meeting between the Celestials has been moved forward. They will be arriving today, instead of in a few days."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey y'all! I just gotta say, thank you so much for reviewing, favoriting, following, and even reading this story! It's so amazing how many of you guys like it, even though it's only now up to 5 chapters XD.**

 **Qwertywerido: Nope! Peter is gonna be fine, for now at least. I don't have an updating schedule because I could never follow it.**

 **PrincessStarberry: You are welcome! I have no idea where the Groot and Peter friendship came from, but it's gonna be here for a while.**

 **Luckias: Awwwww! Thanks! I love hearing that. It makes me become more confident in my abilities whenever people say stuff like that.**

 **Real quick, Imma just say: 5 chapters, 185 followers, 125 favorites, 44 reviews, and almost 6,000 views. Guys, that's insane! Thank you so much, again!**

 **Also, cause I'm curious: are there any Solace's Wings fans reading this? Or vice versa?**

 **And remember, please leave a comment, question, concern, or conspiracy theory if you have any :)**

 **P.S.: to the one person who thought they were dead, psych! They ain't. :)**


	6. Bucky Barnes - Parties

_Bucky Barnes_

After Aether's big announcement, the two groups were separated again, although this time she did allow Vision, Quill, Drax, and Fury to accompany the three girls out and away to their tent. Bucky headed back to the male's tent with Peter, T'Challa, Strange, Sam, and Groot following closely behind him. Once they were safely inside the tepee, Peter flopped onto his cot, draping an arm over his eyes. Bucky raised an eyebrow at the boy's antics, but let an amused smile appear on his face when he heard the gentle snoring coming from the teenager.

"I am Groot," the alien tree commented, a smile on his face as he gently tucked the younger boy in with a blanket.

"Yeah, he is something else," Bucky responded. Even though the two didn't speak the same language, Bucky knew that Groot was talking about Peter. It seemed like the Spiderman was a universal language every person in their group understood and knew how to speak fluently. The ex-KGB assassin fell heavily onto his own cot after he had taken off his scabbard and tossed it to the floor. Bucky moved his hands up, cradling his aching head in their grasp.

"You do realize, James Buchanan Barnes, how long our blacksmiths worked on those, correct?"

Bucky didn't even bother to acknowledge that Aether was now standing in their tent. Through his fingers, he watched as Groot took a step closer to the sleeping Peter, his limbs tightening in anger towards Aether. T'Challa and Sam eyed Aether warily, and Strange just simply looked at her with pure disgust. Bucky eventually pulled his hands away from his face and turned to face the fiery redhead. "I hope you realize, Aether, that I don't really care."

Her eye twitched and Bucky had to smirk; one point for the Winter Soldier. She opened her mouth to retort something, but Bucky cut her off before she could begin, "Aether, why are you here? We need to rest up before we see the Celestials."

"Not to mention that we need to come up with a convincing statement to persuade them to send us back to Earth," added Strange, grabbing a wooden stick he located on the floor. With his magic, the man began to widdle it down to a sharp point. Judging by the look on his face, Bucky had to figure that Strange was doing it subconsciously. "Is there anything we need to know about these Celestials before we see them? Anything that can help us convince them?"

"They are the most bloodthirsty beings you have ever met," growled Aether, her fists clenching up painfully. Her knuckles turned white as she continued, "All they care about is what they can achieve in the end; they show no mercy and have no trace of kindness in their bones."

"That explains a lot," mumbled Sam under his breath and Aether's head shot around to glare at the Falcon.

"Would you dare to repeat that statement again, Samuel Thomas Wilson? Except this time, a little louder?" Aether snapped, her body turning so fast that Bucky was partially convinced she was on a pivot.

Bucky hadn't known Sam very long; the most amount of information he knew about the former pararescue was that he worked at the VA and he somehow met Steve on a run around the Washington Monument in D.C., which led him to helping Steve and Natasha stop Project: Insight and rendering the Winter Soldier useless. In that amount of time, Bucky had never seen Sam raise his voice once. He was the counselor and therapist of the group, and he made it well-known with his gentle voice and docile manner.

However, in that one moment, Bucky could feel the Asset quivering in fear inside of him as Sam stood up. He pushed his shoulders back, rising to his full height. Compared to Aether, he was a giant of a man, twice the size and strength then she could ever have.

"I do dare to repeat the statement," Sam hissed, his voice low and sharp, each word like a snakebite to Aether. "That. Explains. A. Lot. Bloodthirsty beings with no mercy and no trace of kindness in their bones? I hope you realize, Aether, that you have just described yourself…"

Sam never got to finish the sentence, as Aether slapped him across the face. Sam barely flinched and stood his ground while Aether raged below him.

"You know nothing about me, Samuel Thomas Wilson!" she screamed, her whole body vibrating with rage. "You know nothing about the life I've had to endure, the extreme torture I've gone through, or the heartache and pain that I've experienced. Yes, I do realize that I am a Celestial, and I have just described the Celestials in a not-so-pleasant manner, but realize this: if you think I am a monster, you will not survive one minute in a tent with the other Celestials."

With that, her red hair shaking with anger, she flipped around and stalked out of the tent, her stomps getting quieter and quieter as she put distance between her and the men.

Sam's shoulders fell and he rubbed his eyes wearily, placing his free hand on his hip. "That's not exactly how I wanted that conversation to go."

"Do you want me to go and try to talk to her?" Bucky offered from where he was reclining on his cot. He could finally see how exhausted Sam was, from his posture to the dark lines that seemed permanently etched under all their eyes.

"No, she needs time to settle down," T'Challa interrupted, gesturing to the door. "She is under a lot of pressure; if she is a Celestial, she is in charge of this realm, along with all the people who inhabit it. In addition to that, she must be worried about her Infinity Stone; especially the way that Thanos must be using it."

They were all silent for a moment, before a new, timid voice interrupted, "What about the others?"

Bucky turned his head to see Peter sitting up in his cot, his arms wrapped protectively around his legs. The young boy's eyes were glazed over, as if he was thinking about a different place with different people. "Y-You know...everyone who didn't turn into dust…"

"Okoye," whispered T'Challa under his breath, dipping his head in sadness.

"Wong," Strange murmured, looking away.

"I am Groot," Groot muttered, falling down to his knees.

"Steve."

"Natasha."

"Tony," Peter finally put, using the heel of his hand to hastily wipe the unshed tears away. "We've spent this whole time worrying about whether or not we're alive...what about them? We're in a completely different realm, and for all they know, we are dead! We're not even alive to them anymore…"

"Pete, buddy, I need you to take a deep breath," Sam suddenly stated, appearing randomly at Peter's side. Peter's chest was expanding and collapsing rapidly, and Bucky could see the panic attack that was threatening to take ahold of him. "Here, follow my lead." Sam took Peter's hand and placed it up against his own chest. Sam took exaggerated breaths, and Peter followed. The two did that in a room of complete silence until Peter had calmed down. "That's it. Good job."

"I hate this planet," grumbled Peter, falling flat onto his back.

"Don't we all, Kid," Bucky murmured in agreement. The doorbell to the tepee went off and Sam jumped three feet into the air in shock. Bucky let out a laugh and the pararescue man shot him a glare.

"It's not my fault that there's a doorbell on a freaking tepee!" Sam snapped, jumping to his feet. He patted the dust away from his clothes as Bucky got up, heading over to answer the door. When he pulled back the tent flap, he was surprised to see Aasfa standing with six giant boxes in her arms. She had a simple, knee-length white gown on, one that was very similar to the one Aether usually wore.

"Incoming," she chuckled weakly before the boxes all started to dip down towards Bucky.

His reflexes kicked in, and he easily caught the four that had tumbled down towards him. They weren't that heavy; just cumbersome. Bucky glanced over his shoulder and yelled, "A little help?"

Strange got up and pulled the tent flap back so Bucky and Aasfa could easily enter in. Peter instantly shot up in the bed and began to nervously run his fingers through his bedhead mess of hair. Bucky smirked and from beside him, he could hear Aasfa giggle lightly. Bucky gently set his load of boxes down onto the dusty ground before helping Aasfa navigate hers to the earth as well. The younger girl stood up and stretched, bones cracking and groaning.

"Thank you very much," Aasfa said, nodding her head towards Bucky and Strange. "I offered to deliver your clothes mostly because it gets boring just tending to that fire every day and night."

"C-Clothes? Clothes for w-what?" Peter stammered nervously. Inside, Bucky resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Once they were off that realm, Bucky would need to have a private chat with Peter on how to talk to pretty girls without looking like a dork. It was a skill Bucky had still retained from the 40s.

Aasfa gestured towards the boxes before she began cleaning the dust off her gown. "They are for tonight; you cannot see the Celestials in just any sort of clothes, now can you?" She gave a smile and there was the faintest trace of mischief written all over it. It gave Bucky chills: both the good and the bad kind. The smile seemed familiar, but where from, Bucky couldn't quite put his finger on.

"So, we get new outfits too?" Sam chuckled, heading straight for one of the boxes. "Sweet!" While the man set to work on sorting which box went to which guy, Bucky reached over and grabbed Aasfa's elbow, gently leading the girl towards the entrance of the tent, away from the other men.

"What's the story with Aether?" Bucky asked, his voice quiet enough that only Aasfa could hear him. "Ever since we came to this village, she seems on edge and easily angered."

Aasfa let out a sigh and rubbed her eyes wearily, nodding her head in agreement. "Aether gets that way whenever the Celestials are due for a visit. Aether is not only in charge of her Infinity Stone, but she is also partially in charge of the Fire of Aynulhayat. As we mentioned earlier, it is the life force of this realm. Should it be extinguished, everything, and everyone within here, would die." She shivered and Bucky could see a glimmer in her eye. A tear. "Just like it did once before."

"What happened before…" Bucky began, but was startled to silence after a loud banging noise sounded throughout the village.

Aasfa tensed up and whispered softly, "Please...I will explain everything to you at the ceremony tonight...but you need to hurry. The Celestials are entering the realm as we speak and they do not like to be kept waiting."

* * *

Bucky tugged at his collar, not particularly enjoying the way it was restricting on his throat. It reminded him of days of long ago; days he wished he could forget.

 _ **Why do you even try to forget about me?**_ grumbled the Asset, sniffing haughtily. Bucky verbally groaned aloud and pressed a flat palm against his temple. He had honestly thought that the Asset had finally left. He hadn't been very vocal within the last few hours, which was unusual for him. _**Did you ever stop to think that maybe I have feelings too?**_

"Not gonna fall for that," Bucky murmured under his breath, shaking his head lightly. He felt a hand on his shoulder and relaxed, knowing it was only Peter Parker. He turned over his shoulder and gave the Spiderman a small smile. "I'm okay, Kid. The Asset's being a little bit grumpy tonight, that's all."

"Ok, just wanted to check up with you," Peter said, sending the older man a large grin. "I have to say, as a kid who hasn't been invited to a lot of parties, I'm really excited to see what a party on a foreign realm is like."

"Not to mention that we look absolutely amazing in these outfits!" Sam commented, doing a twirl for dramatic effect. Bucky snorted and Peter coughed into his elbow, trying and failing miserably to contain his grin. The other men who were at the girls' tent had arrived an hour ago so they could all begin getting ready for the Celestials. According to Aasfa, it took the Celestials about two hours to get from the entrance of the realm to the planet where the party was to be located on. That left just enough time for all the men to get cleaned up.

Bucky had been one of the brave souls who had ventured into the bathhouse, located near the center of the village. When he figured out that they not only had baths that resembled jacuzzis, but showers, he not only screamed in relief but danced a little jig around the entire bathhouse, confusing many of the Avengers. The scruff on his face wasn't completely gone, just cut back a little thanks to the help of Strange. When Bucky asked why it hadn't all been cut off, Strange simply replied with, "This realm isn't ready for your forties charm or good looks." Bucky wasn't sure what that exactly meant, but he had taken it as a compliment.

His hair, on the other hand, had been cut back significantly so that now it resembled his hair when he first enlisted: short, styled, and clean. Nothing felt better to him then being freshly cleaned, so he made sure to have scrubbed all the dirt and grime off of his body.

His outfit he could have done without, however. Tactical gear was more of the way he preferred. Not a no-sleeve, turtleneck tunic made of a dark purple color that shimmered in the faint torchlight. Underneath the tunic he had his pair of black leggings he had been wearing beforehand. Everyone was wearing the same outfit only with different colors; for instance, T'Challa was dressed in black, Vision was in red, and Peter was in a stunning cobalt blue that made his eyes pop.

Not everyone had been as excited as Sam to get the new clothes. Drax and Fury were furious, Drax more so. He spent a decent half-hour ranting on why any shirt, whether it be a tunic or not, was not going to appear on his body. It was only when Groot spoke to him in a low, slightly irritated voice that Drax calmed down. Fury was just silent, glaring at anything that had a positive mood; so, everyone besides Drax.

They were all waiting for the females of their group; Aasfa had promised Bucky before she left that she and Aether would assist the women and bring them over before presenting them all to the people of Friðrheim. Just the thought of being presented to anyone made Bucky's palms itch. He hated being paraded around. It brought him back to the days of when Alexander Pierce would showcase the Winter Soldier to all potential buyers.

 _ **I always did hate that man,**_ the Asset grumbled angrily and Bucky could feel the anger radiating off of him, a connection between them that only happened on rare occasions.

 _Join the club,_ Bucky thought wearily, mentally preparing himself for a headache. Just as Bucky was about to lose it from the sheer weight of boredom, the doorbell on the tepee rang and Strange leaned forward, brushing the curtain aside.

Aether and Aasfa had done a fantastic job; the women were gorgeous. Each were dressed in a beautiful, floor-length gown, the colors varying based on their personalities. Each had their hair done up in a certain style; not one style was the same. What Bucky also noticed was that each of their colors matched up with a color on them. Maria was dressed in white, which corresponded with Fury's color. Mantis was in green like Drax, Wanda (obviously) had red like Vision, and even Aasfa and Aether were like that. Aether was dressed in a cobalt blue; it made her hair even more fiery than beforehand. That meant she was dressed like Peter, and it seemed the teenage boy noticed it too. He sent Aether a fluttery grin, but thankfully didn't blush. Maybe Bucky's charms were rubbing off on him more than he had originally thought. Aasfa was in a beautiful, purple gown, which meant she was like Bucky.

Everyone dispersed for a few minutes, talking quietly under their breath. Bucky headed straight for Aasfa, gently grabbing the crook of her elbow and pulling her to a secluded part of the tent.

"Mind I ask why we're matching?" Bucky questioned her, raising an eyebrow. He used a finger to gesture to the articles of clothing that were on both of their bodies. Aasfa blushed and bit her lower lip, looking down at her feet which were kneading the dirt and dust.

"For those who are celebrating the meeting of the Celestials, there needs to be pairs," Aasfa explained slowly and cautiously. Bucky noticed she was looking everywhere except directly into his eyes. "Men can arrive without someone, but if the women wish to attend, they need a…'date'…so to speak. Wearing the same colors as a man showcases that they are with them."

Bucky stopped himself from letting his jaw drop open. "So...you wanted to come to the meeting, so you made yourself my...date?"

"Yes, that appears to be the case," Aasfa giggled lightly and nervously. Bucky noticed for the first time that her voice got more breathy and airy when she got nervous. "I hope I have not caused you any offense...I merely wished to go tonight and you seemed to be as good as any option."

"Uh...I guess I'll take that as a compliment," Bucky chuckled, reaching his hand up to scratch the back of his neck. He turned to face the entire room. "Then why is Aether in Peter's colors?"

"She did not know about that," Aasfa stated simply, glancing at Bucky through the corner of her eyes. "She does not need a date; she is a Celestial, after all. I simply chose to match them because I think they are...what's the word for it...adorable?...together."

* * *

Parties on Earth were nothing compared to the parties held on Friðrheim; Bucky was absolutely certain about that. There were party lights, glimmering little balls of light that hung throughout the air, as if attached by invisible lines of thread to the ceiling of the tent. In the middle of the room, the Fire of Aynulhayat was burning brightly; every so often the fire would flicker to a new color, like bright blue, deep green, or a blinding white.

The guests were all dressed decoratively like Bucky and his companions. The different amounts of color were almost nauseating to Bucky; it was all bright and flashing. Bucky was already preparing for another headache. Headaches, as Bucky could already predict, seemed to be a part of his daily life now that he was on that realm.

Something squeezed Bucky's elbow and he tensed slightly. Aasfa looked at him with a perfectly plucked raised eyebrow but remained silent. His friends, however, were all a jumble of words, blurting out everything that came to mind.

"I can't believe those things are floating…"

"Is that a DJ…?"

"Why is everyone so matchy-matchy…?"

"This is way cool!" Peter shouted next to Bucky, trying hard to be heard above the noise. Aether was perched on his other arm, an actual smile on her face. Peter looked up and grinned at Bucky. "I think I'm glad I never got invited to parties back on Earth; even now I can tell that they all pale in comparison."

"Ain't that the truth," Sam commented, pulling up next to Aasfa. He sent the girl a warm smile and nodded his head to Bucky, Peter, and Aether. "So, Aether and Aasfa, when do the rest of the Celestials make an appearance?"

"They are already here," Aether answered calmly, and Bucky completely froze, as did Sam and Peter. Out of the corner of Bucky's eye, he could see Peter began to quiver in fear. He went to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but Aether beat him to the punch. She rested her open, dainty hand on his shoulder and he could see Peter making an effort to relax and calm down. "They like to take on disguises; fool the people of Friðrheim. It's like a game to them. Whoever can get the most people to be fooled wins for that night."

"Then why aren't you playing?" Sam dared to question, and Bucky mentally and physically readied himself to separate Sam and Aether in case the situation got ugly. He remembered what had happened that morning, and definitely did not want to repeat it. Aasfa seemed to do the same and they connected eyes briefly.

Aether, much to Bucky's surprise, sent Sam a disarming smile. "Who says I am not?" With that, she flipped around and dragged Peter off. As she did, Bucky noticed their appearances seemed to shimmer. Aether and Peter turned around and sent him a smirk. Peter's face completely changed, revealing a tall, hulking man. His hair was black and slicked back, showing off his chiseled face. He had a scruffy beard and twinkling brown eyes. He gave Bucky one, single nod before turning around and dissolving back into Peter. The woman had slicked back, brown hair that was straightened to infinity and beyond. Her appearance shimmered once more and she returned to Aether's shape in a more elegant way.

"Please tell me that I am not the only one who saw that…" gulped Sam, turning to look at Bucky. The Winter Soldier could only stare at the couple, his jaw hanging low. If that wasn't Aether and Peter, but two Celestials, then where were Aether and Peter?

"No!"

The shout was loud and sudden, a noise that was heard above the music and the chatter. Everyone quieted down and Bucky turned to see who the voice belonged to. It was Peter Quill. The man was pointing a shaky finger at a woman who was dressed entirely in yellow, the same shade that Quill had on. What was even more intriguing was her skin.

Her skin was green.

* * *

 **A/N: I AM SO SORRY THAT IT HAS TAKEN MY FOREVER TO UPDATE. Life has been hectic and so now I have very little time to think about this. Plus, I was stuck on how to write the last little bit. I also noticed how Peter, in my movies, calls Tony Stark 'Mr. Stark' while I have been just calling him Tony. Whoops XD. Imma keep it that way so I don't have to go back and edit it (I'm already trying to do that with one story and it's gonna be a doozy).**

 **Thank you all so much for your favorites, follows, and reviews :) Keep doing so, please :)**


	7. Peter Parker - Truths

_Peter Parker_

Peter, who had been disguised as one of the partygoers by Aether, ordered the Celestial to drop their disguises and rushed over to Quill, where Bucky and Groot were also headed. A look of pain, panic, disbelief, and longing crossed over the green woman's face, but she made no move to approach Quill. The rest of the party slowly simmered down, until Peter could distinctly hear everyone's heartbeats.

Super-hearing was sometimes annoying.

Bucky's eyes flashed with relief when he spotted Peter, and he ushered the younger boy behind him and Sam. Peter accepted the safety with relief, but kept close to Quill, who was still shaking. Groot was saying soft words to the man, his round orbs flashing off once and a while towards the woman, who still remained in her position.

Two people, a man and a woman who had taken over the disguises of Peter and Aether, stepped forward. They were tall and beautiful, the man with his chiseled face and dark hair and the woman with stature and bright eyes. The man was dressed in a purple tunic, but not like the one Bucky had on. This one was deep, vibrant, and ever-changing. Almost sentient, not that Peter would be surprised if it actually was. His definition of normal changed after he had been bitten by the spider. The woman who was by his side, rather closely, was not wearing the same color; hers was a vigorous yellow-gold. It sparkled and when the light glinted off of it, Peter then realized it must have been actually woven _with_ gold.

"Gamoul, do you wish to introduce us to your friends?" the man in purple asked. His voice was deep and thick, an accent hidden deep within his words. He looked up and sniffed haughtily at them, as if he were disgusted by their mere presence. But his look of hatred exempted Quill and Groot for some reason. The woman in gold shared this same look, except she gave a fond glance towards Vision. Behind Peter, he heard Wanda growl softly and the woman simply chuckled, looking on at Wanda with the same glance.

The woman with the green skin swallowed heavily, before lifting a shaky hand towards Peter and his friends. "Fellow Celestials and citizens of Friðrheim, may I introduce members of the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Avengers."

Bursts of applause shocked Peter. All around them, members of a foreign planet were celebrating their achievements, which they probably had never heard of. Peter blushed under all the excitement and praise. He glanced up at Bucky and saw that the older man was also slightly embarrassed, though he looked more confused.

As quickly as the applause had began, it began to silent; all except for four people. The woman in gold, the man in purple, another man in light blue, and one more man in dark green. By light blue, Peter meant the very definition of baby blue mixed with sky blue. It reminded him of all the little stars twinkling in the night sky. That man had slicked back hair, similar to the man in purple's, but he held a very amused facial expression, with true amusement glimmering in his eyes. The man in dark green was much older than the remaining members of the group: the gray was very noticeable in his thick and short beard, and scruffy thin hair. He had a genuine smile on, and he seemed wise. Why Peter picked up on that, he wasn't quite sure.

As how the others had looked with a lovingly gaze towards members of Peter's group, so did these two men. The one in blue seemed to look at Maria Hill and Nick Fury with a sense of amusement and unspoken laughter. The man in green seemed particularly proud of Dr. Strange; it seemed to be making the surgeon uncomfortable as he was dancing lightly from one foot to another.

"Welcome, Guardians of the Galaxy and the Avengers," the man in dark green spoke first. His voice was very distinct; it was an accent that Peter couldn't place, and his voice was deep, more bass than baritone. "We are glad you have come to celebrate our arrival here on the realm of Friðrheim."

"It's not like we had a choice in coming," snapped Bucky, and that seemed to be the thing that shook everyone out of their stupor. The group took a harden stance, and Peter's eyes were already wandering the room, looking for key exit points.

Peter heard a deep sigh, however, and his attention was quickly back on the mysterious group of people, whom Aether had now joined in line with. The man in green spoke again, and Peter began to pick up on the sense that he was their leader, "No, it was not your choice. However, our only options were either bringing you to our realm or letting you fade to dust as Thanos had wanted you to become." Peter's chest tightened just at the thought of the memory, and the man in green seemed to notice it, sending Peter an apologetic smile. "Now, where are my manners? Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of why exactly each and every one of you are here, let me introduce us all. We are the Celestials."

The man in purple took a step forward, giving the smallest of bows from the waist up. "My name is Orbous; I am the creator of the Power Stone."

The woman in gold was next. "I am Sceptra, and I am the creator of the Mind Stone." Wanda and Vision both tensed and their jaws dropped in disbelief. Peter suddenly understood then why the woman was looking at them in a maternal way; after all, her stone had given Vision life and had gifted Wanda her powers.

Following her was the man in blue. "I am Tesseract, and I am the creator of the Space Stone." Behind him, he heard Fury and Maria take in a sharp breath. If Peter remembered correctly, the Battle of New York happened over Loki trying to obtain the Tesseract and use it to open a giant wormhole into space.

Aether gave a brief way and small description of herself, even though the group already knew who she was: the creator of the Reality Stone. The next one was the woman in yellow, but she seemed very hesitant. The man in blue leaned close beside her, and Quill tensed up, gritting his teeth so hard Peter thought they were going to snap in half. Tesseract whispered something in her ear, and she took a deep breath. "M-My name is Gamoul...I-I am the holder of the Soul Stone."

Peter immediately noticed the difference. Gamoul had said 'holder', not 'creator'. Whoever she was, she was not originally a Celestial, especially with the way Quill reacted to seeing her.

"And I am Agamotto, creator of the Time Stone," the man in green finished off with a smile. He chuckled at Strange's strong disbelieving face and spread his arms out in a gesture of 'ta da'. "As I have been hearing from Aether, my dear friend, we have had some lack in communications. I am not, in fact, Vishanti."

"No you are not," whispered Dr. Strange, glancing at the rest of the group with a sense of awe and shock. Peter felt the same way, but only for a different reasons. The Celestials seemed...normal. What was so scary about them? Orbous and Spectra seemed to be the most 'intimidating', if one could even say that about them. Tesseract and Aether were neutral in their effect on the group, and Gamoul seemed more nervous than frightening. And Agamotto just seemed like a friendly grandfather.

"You have many questions for us, dear friends, and we will be more than glad to answer them," Agamotto continued, gesturing towards the other Celestials. "I feel that if we were to split up, only if it were comfortable with you, that we will be able to answer your questions more swiftly and effective."

The group eyed each other warily, before Bucky nodded for all of them. Peter could tell from the way Bucky was shifting awkwardly that he didn't care whether or not they were separated; he just wanted to know.

So, in the end, Peter was grouped with Bucky, T'Challa, and Dr. Strange with Agamotto. The others branched off with the other Celestials, and Peter noticed that Gamoul followed Orbous along with the other Guardians of the Galaxy. The party immediately resumed once the Celestials were divided and Agamotto lead them through the pulsating crowd of dancers to a small secluded table near the back of the large tent. Each man took his own chair, and Peter ended up between Bucky and Dr. Strange, with Agamotto directly across from him.

"Is there anything I can get you, gentlemen?" Agamotto asked politely, leaning back in his chair. He folded his hands neatly across his lap and gave the group a grandfatherly-stare. "Before you ask your questions?"

Peter glanced out of the corners of his eye towards Bucky and Dr. Strange, and both men looked slightly perturbed that Agamotto was stalling.

"No, thank you, Celestial," T'Challa finally hummed. The King sat forward in his chair and placed his folded hands firmly onto the table in front of them. "We have been stranded on a planet that we do not know anything about, in a realm that seems foreign to everyone, and every time we ask a simple question, it seems to be avoided with riddles and mysteries. So, forgive us if we are desperate for straight answers."

Agamotto was silent for a moment, taking in T'Challa's annoyed expression, before he chuckled lightly under his breath. "I understand completely, Your Highness. Please...ask me your questions. You will find no allusions here; just answers."

"Just to be triple clear," Peter began, gulping loudly before continuing on, "we aren't dead…?"

"When Thanos activated the Infinity Gauntlet, he originally did try to kill you all," Agamotto began, a grimace falling onto his elderly features. Apparently, this Celestial didn't like Thanos anymore than Peter and the rest of the gang did. "The Celestials had been gathering at that time, watching all the events unfold. We refused to allow such noble beings, as yourself, to perish by Thanos' ungodly hand. Using Tesseract's powers, folded on top with Aether's and Orbous', we extracted you and brought you all here, where you are safe from Thanos' grasp." Peter let out a large breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"There's more to it than that," Bucky grunted, and Peter turned towards him with a confused look. Bucky's entire posture was tense and his face was neutral, leaning towards anger and betrayal. "You didn't simply rescue us because we're pure beings...you need us to do something."

"Something that involves Thanos and his defeat," Dr. Strange added on, and his cape whipped around slightly. It looked just as annoyed as T'Challa had been only a few moments before.

Agamotto sighed deeply, and stood up quickly, startling the four men. With his right two fingers, he snapped and the entire party seemed to halt. No one moved in the tent, except for the men seated around Agamotto's table. An eerie, green mist rose from the floor, peeking out through crevices and spiraling around their feet. Once the mist was lapping at their ankles, Peter leapt from his seat, moving so fast that the chair went tumbling backwards onto the cold, hard ground. The top half disappeared into the smoke. Peter's chest tightened, and the other men looked warily towards the smoke in the same way. It was only when Dr. Strange said, "Relax, my friends. This is Agamotto's powers...time manipulation, one could say. There is no need for alarm" that they actually calmed down.

"Long before the ages of men and even the Gods of Asgard," a deep baritone voice rang out. It was Agamotto's voice, but the man in question didn't move, and his lips were not open. On the contrary, they were snapped shut. "The Celestials were there."

Six shadow-like figures appeared in the smoke, and Peter jumped at their sudden appearance. Their features began to clear up and Peter watched as shadow-replicas of all six Celestials took shape. Agamotto kept up his narration as the shadows began to move. "We lived in many different areas of this realm, but we all needed a way to vent excess energy that was stored within our cores. So, we created the Infinity Stones as a way of extracting all that energy and funneling it into a more adaptable source."

Above each shadow, a small stone began to form from the shadows: each Infinity Stone. Their colors burned brightly, and a matching color aura wrapped around each shadow-Celestial.

"At a later time, a massive catastrophe hit the planet of Titan, killing all of Thanos' people except for him. All of us had previously met the Titan giant on different occasions for different things, but we had all agreed: he was too wild and crazed. He would do whatever it took to bring back his family and his planet. That is when we all decided to hide our objects."

Peter found himself nodding his head as the stones and people all morphed together and shifted into yet six different objects. "Tesseract hid his stone within a blue capsule and named it the same. He gave it to the realm of Jotunheim, hoping its freezing capabilities would distract Thanos and make him believe that it was simply an artifact of magic that the Frost Giants had created. Orbous placed his stone with a dense obsidian rock and sent it far into space, where the Guardians of the Galaxy eventually found it on the planet Morag. Sceptra hid hers within a blue mineral and built a scepter out of the finest metals to hold it. She gifted it to the First King of Asgard, where it was passed down. Loki Laufeysson eventually gained the scepter, and from him to you. Aether warped her powers, the most volatile one, into a type of mist and created a device to hold it. The magical dark elves of Svartelfheim gained the power and device as a sign of goodwill, but they used it for evil purposes. One of the many reasons that Aether is now distrustful of other creatures."

Peter's heart felt a sharp pang. That reason explained why Aether was so tense and angry around Dr. Strange: the Sorcerer Supreme held magic, just like the dark elves did. Peter sniffed, looking towards the last two stones that Agamotto had yet to detail: his own stone, the Time Stone, and Gamoul's stone, the Soul Stone.

"With me, I wrapped my stone within a veil of secrecy and built an amulet out of metals found only in Friðrheim," Agamotto's voice continued, and his shadow-figure disappeared into the blank amulet that Dr. Strange was wearing around his chest. However, in the shadow version of the amulet, a misty green rock was glowing solidly. "I had been communicating with the first Sorcerer Supreme, and due to the intelligence and wisdom in his words, I gave mine to him. He had never failed me, and neither has any of the Sorcerer Supremes to follow him."

At this moment, Agamotto paused, and all the shadow figures and objects fell away, leaving only Gamoul's shadow-figure to remain. Peter glanced back at the table, and it seemed as if the other men were confused as well. The young man moved his gaze then towards Agamotto, and he was surprised to find a sad smile on Agamotto's lips. The next time that Agamotto spoke, his mouth did move along with the words.

"Gamoul is not the original designer of the Soul Stone. She was an unfortunate victim that was killed in order to retrieve the Soul Stone," Agamotto sighed, shaking his head. "She was taken before her time was up. You see, in order to retrieve the Soul Stone, one must sacrifice the person they love most. A soul for a soul. The creator of the Soul Stone, a woman named Selene, had lost someone very dear in her life. She felt like the price was necessary: if someone wanted to use the object of her power, then they needed to be in the same position that she was. Alone, unable to go to her most precious loved one because they were dead."

Peter blinked his eyes in surprise at the story. It was...morbid, to say the least. The other Celestials, while they seemed tough and had been through many a rough time, were still sane. This Selene woman sounded...too crazy to be true. Peter sat his chair back up and took a seat in it, his mind whirling from all the details that Agamotto had just spouted out. Bucky glanced at the younger boy and Peter caught his eyes: it was the look of 'I-can't-believe-that-just-happened' and 'I-stopped-being-surprise-seventy-years-ago'.

"Gamora…"

Peter's neck cracked audibly as he whipped his head towards Dr. Strange. The doctor's hand was resting casually over his mouth, but his eyes were whirling. Peter could literally watch the thoughts zoom around in his head. "D-Dr. Strange...what did you say?"

"Gamora," he answered, this time speaking the name louder. T'Challa and Bucky both seemed as confused as Peter was. The doctor turned his head towards Peter, ignoring the looks of distress and confusion coming from the two other men. "Peter, remember back to when we were on Titan. We were fighting Thanos, and we almost had the Infinity Gauntlet off. Quill...he walked up to Thanos and asked him where Gamora was, remember?"

"Wasn't Gamora his weird alien girlfriend?" Peter asked hesitantly, his mind racing to try and keep up. The memory of when Peter, Dr. Strange, and Tony had all first met the Guardians of the Galaxy came vividly to mind. "Oh! He was asking where she was when we first met them. On the spaceship thingy!"

"That's her," Dr. Strange confirmed, and he turned to look at Agamotto. "That's her, isn't it? Gamoul is Gamora; she was sacrificed by Thanos in order to get the Soul Stone."

All Agamotto did was nod in return.

"Not that this information is unnecessary," Bucky cut in, eyeing Peter in a way that made the teenager realize that he was going to have to re-explain everything to the ninety year old later, "but back to the real question at hand: what do you want us to do?"

"Thanos is a monster that must be stopped," Agamotto said fiercely, surprising Peter. Peter didn't think the grandfather-like Celestial could be stern with a single bone in his body. "Your task is to go out and search for the one thing that can defeat the Infinity Stones: the Convergenst Stone and the Watch of Fate."

"Ok, you have officially lost me," T'Challa put in, shaking his head. He ran a hand over his short, curly hair in frustration. "Please, in the fastest yet simplest way, explain what the Convergenst Stone is and what is the Watch of Fate?"

"The Watch of Fate is simple to explain, so I will explain that first. Just as the Infinity Gauntlet is the only way to safely harness the power of the six Infinity Stones, the Watch of Fate is the only way for the Convergenst Stone to be safely handled. The Convergenst Stone was created by all six Celestials: Tesseract, myself, Sceptra, Orbous, Aether, and Selene. We created it as a fail-safe; a way to deactivate the Infinity Stones in case anything happened, or _anyone_ happened," Agamotto explained, and Peter found himself nodding along to the description, just like the other men at his table. "There are multiple steps for this plan to work: the first step is to locate the Watch of Fate. It has been deeply hidden within a small moon, as to not attract the attention of any treasure hunters. The second step would be to locate the Convergenst Stone. Both of these items are hidden within the realm of Friðrheim and can be found with a Keeper of Friðrheim." Again, this was a moment where Peter and Bucky looked at each other with confusion, but Agamotto kept on speaking. "After you have found the Watch and the stone, you will need to choose a Wielder."

"A what?" Bucky asked, still looking completely baffled by Peter's standards.

"A Wielder. In order to work, someone must be compatible with the Watch of Fate and be willing to wield it. Afterwards, you will move on to step four, which is locating Thanos. We have been unfortunate in our attempts to locate him after he left Earth, but by the time you return here, we should be able to give you a route. Then, the tricky part: you must defeat Thanos with the Convergenst Stone, and use it to purify the wrongdoings of the galaxy. Destroying the Infinity Gauntlet is also a need that must be done, so that no one else besides the Celestials can control the Infinity Stones all at once. Step six would be bringing each Infinity Stone safely back to each of the Celestials' home planet: Friðrheim, Hugrmir, Rúmmir, Vormir, Aukimir, Stundmir. Afterwards, you will return the Convergenst Stone and the Watch of Fate back to their original homes. Then, and only then, will we allow you to return home to your planet of Earth," Agamotto finished off dramatically.

Agamotto snapped his fingers and sat down, and the party whirled back to life, everyone moving about as if nothing had happened; as if an elderly Celestial being hadn't basically formed together a group of soldiers, spies, mutants, and aliens in order to defeat the legend of darkness himself. Agamotto leaned forward his seat, folding his hands together and resting them down onto the table in front of him. "Well, my friends, what do you say?"

Peter didn't even need to wait for Dr. Strange, T'Challa, or Bucky before he gave his answer.

"I'm in."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey y'all! I know, it's been a heckin' long time since I've posted last. I've had tons of schoolwork (college, baby!) and my weekends have been booked solid.**

 **I just saw Endgame last night. Wasn't my favorite movie, but it has its high moments. Just a warning to everyone reading this story: from here on in, I can solidly say that Endgame Spoilers will show up. There's no way for me to continue this story unless some do. So, yeah XD**

 _lastarael_ : **I'm glad that you like what I've done with the Asset and Bucky! Yeah, I did realize when writing that that it might not have been very Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes like, but hey, what the heck? You'll have to wait and see with the Aether comment :)**

 _SceneQuiverBroad_ : **I'm glad that you got it right! Thank you so much for your compliment! :)**

 _Guest : _**Ooooh...yeah, I'll definitely have to play with that and see what happens. Thanks!**

 _MadCrazyChloe_ : **Yep! It's actually Gamora**.

 _cardboardbox2.0:_ **First off, love your name. Secondly, I understand that he is acting a little younger than he is in canon, but you have to keep in mind that he's a 15, maybe 16, year old who has been turned into dust and thrust onto a planet with a bunch of strangers he doesn't know very well. I'd be terrified out of my wits and acting much younger than my age if I was him**.

 _Estel Ashlee Snape_ and _AliceCullen3_ : **Thanks you guys! I love seeing your reviews throughout the chapters, even if they are just small "You done good, kid"s XD**

 **I have no idea when the next chapter will come out, so have fun until then! Please review, favorite, follow, or whatever until then! (And see Endgame, very good).**


	8. Bucky Barnes - Watchhunters United

_Bucky Barnes_

 _ **Have I ever told you that that kid is going to get himself killed?**_ the Asset grumbled to Bucky as Agamotto led him, Peter, Dr. Strange, and T'Challa all back to the new tent where their entire group would be assembled. _**An intergalactic journey through space in order to retrieve a watch and a shiny stone in order to defeat a giant purple grape monster and he immediately, without hesitation, says yes?**_

 _We get it, alright?_ Bucky grumbled, annoyed. He understood that the Asset was very pissed off with the young spider-kid, but his lamenting was enough to give Bucky a migraine. _Just complain quietly to yourself, ok?_

 _ **Where's the fun in that?**_

Bucky rolled his eyes, grateful that the sun (or whatever was lighting the planet) had set and he wasn't clearly visible in the cover of darkness. He still reacted physically to the Asset as if the voice inside his head was a real person, someone he could see clearly with his own two eyes. It would make Bucky's life so much easier if the Asset was an actual person: he could just punch the Asset straight in the face and feel no shame.

"You ok, Bucky?" a tentative voice asked, and Bucky sighed before sending a nod in Peter's direction. "The Asset?"

"Let's just say he's not the happiest fella when it comes to how quickly you agreed to be a part of this psychotic mission," Bucky said frankly, shrugging his shoulders as an unspoken apology for his bluntness. "This isn't like normal missions you've been on, Peter. You've battled Thanos before, personally. He is the toughest foe we've ever faced before, and now he's got six of the most power-filled gems at his disposal and we're supposed to what? Find an antique watch and a different glowy gem that's supposed to defeat him?"

"Well, when you put it that way," Peter chuckled with a breathy tone. Bucky noticed how nervous he was saying that. "I just thought it was the only way; it's obvious that the Celestials need the job done, and they aren't willing to send us back to Earth until we do it. Also, we're going to have to face Thanos again anyways. It's not like we will never face him again. So, I just figured that we'd better do whatever we could to stop him and get back home, you know? And, get a little extra firepower while we're at it?"

Bucky pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes. He wasn't pleased with the kid, but even the Asset agreed that Peter did make a good call. They all needed to return to their home as quickly as they could; if that meant finding a mythological watch that could supposedly defeat a giant purple Titan, then that is what they would have to do. "I'm divided between punching you and patting you on the back, Kid. I'll decide later."

Peter let out a breathy laugh, and Bucky could see that the kid was trying to decide whether or not he was actually kidding.

Bucky didn't even know if he was kidding.

Agamotto paused the group as the older Celestial observed the tent they were all in front of. "Your friends should be inside. The other Celestials have arranged a seat for each one of you. Find your seat and please wait patiently while we assemble and decide who the Keeper from Friðrheim will be for your quest." He stepped to the side and dragged the tent's flap open, gesturing with his free hand towards the inside.

T'Challa was the first one in, and, due to the fact that shouting hadn't occurred, Bucky assumed that the tent was safe. Dr. Strange went next, ducking his head back through the tent to give them a thumbs-up. Bucky gently shoved a hesitant Peter through the opening, then he ducked down and went into the tent himself. It was much like the tent the party was held in, minus the giant glowing fire in the center. The fire that lit this tent was much more calm, and smaller by a significant amount. As Agamotto had foretold, the Celestials had set up a chair for each of them. The rest of the group were already gathered in their chairs, and Bucky immediately noticed the death glare that Quill was sending towards the fire. That must mean he was told of Gamoul's true identity. T'Challa's seat had been placed between Nick Fury and Vision, Dr. Strange was sitting between Drax and Mantis (an odd place to put the Sorcerer Supreme), and Peter and Bucky had been placed next to each other near the back of the tent, with Sam Wilson on Bucky's side and Groot on Peter's side.

The duo took their seats (on chairs that looked like the ones directors sat in during the 40s) and Bucky was immediately nervous by how quiet the tent was. Not a single soul was making a noise; even their breaths were silent. Which meant one of two things: either they were all trying to process the information the Celestials had given them or something had gone terribly wrong.

"Why so silent?" Bucky finally asked, leaning back as safely as he could in his seat. He raised an eyebrow and looked around the group. "We all know we're not mental processors, besides maybe Vision. So, speak out: what do you think about this whole idea?"

"It's insane," Maria Hill finally put in, leaning on her elbows on her knees. Her hands were folded together and were set in front of her mouth as she gazed quizzingly into the fire. "The Celestials are just asking us to do their dirty work so they can get their Infinity Stones back."

"But it seems to be the only way for us to get back to Earth," Sam snapped back, pulling his arm up to rest on the top of his chair. "As much as I hate to say it, we need their help as much as they need ours."

"But why use a band of androids, aliens, and humans in order to get their Infinity Stones back?" Quill put in, his gaze travelling up from the fire to stare right at Sam. "They're like freaking angels with superpowers! Why can't they just use their voodoo magic to get it back? Why pull us in?"

"The Convergenst Stone," Peter murmured quietly under his breath, and Bucky turned to look at him. The teenager looked up, and Bucky watched as his face turned a brilliant shade of red as he noticed that everyone in the circle had gone silent and were looking at him. He gulped nervously. "Um...I mean, the Convergenst Stone is the reason why they are using us. If Thanos," at the mere mention of his name, everyone in the circle either flinched, shivered, or looked away, "still has the Infinity Stones, that means that he is at the actual level of the Celestials. And since Gamoul," Quill winced and went back to death-glaring the fireplace, "sorry Mr. Quill sir, since Gamoul isn't the original Celestial of the Soul Stone, that means that they don't have enough power to match Thanos, let alone overthrow him. The Convergenst Stone is the fail-safe, the only way to ensure that the Infinity Stones can be defeated. But it has to have a Wielder, and judging by how they have asked us to come, they must think that one of us can be that person."

Bucky pursed his lips and turned to look at the fire, his mind running over all the details that Peter had just pointed out. The kid wasn't lying; his way of thinking definitely made sense why the Celestials had asked them to help out.

"I think Peter is right."

Bucky snapped his head over to Wanda Maximoff, who had brought her legs up onto her chair to hold close to her chest. The girl, only a few years Peter's senior, turned to look at the group. She had terrible dark circles under her eyes, ones that looked similar to Bucky's. "If he is wrong, why does it matter? This is the offer that the Celestials have given us; we need to take them up on it so we can return home."

That statement caused silence in the room, and Bucky didn't feel like breaking that concentrated silence.

However, the Celestials did.

Agamotto, followed closely by Aether, Gamoul, Tesseract, Orbous, Sceptra, and surprisingly, Aasfa, entered tent with a purposeful stride. The ground underneath everyone rumbled, and Peter sat straighter in his chair. On the opposite end of the circle, between Quill and Maria, the circle opened up, pushing those in their chairs backwards. Six more chairs rose from the ground, and these were definitely the Celestials' thrones, or the equivalents of thrones. Aasfa caught Bucky's eye as she moved behind Aether, and she blushed, looking down at her hands.

"Members of the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy," Agamotto began, sitting up tall in his seat. "We have asked you all if you wished to accept the journey to find the Watch of Fate and the Convergent Stone, to use against Thanos as a way of bringing peace. While you all mentioned your fears, there has been a unanimous decision to accept."

Bucky's eyes flicked over to Maria Hill, who was fidgeting awkwardly in her seat. Even she, who had voiced her concerns early on, agreed that the trip was worth it.

Orbous, the man in purple, continued on where Agamotto left off. "We have decided to present Lady Aasfa as our Keeper of Friðrheim; she will journey with you to the Sacred Grove of Fate and to the Temple of Converge to attain the watch and the stone. After that, you will all report back to the Celestials here, and we will send you straight to where Thanos is located."

"What are you going to do to the Wielder?" Peter asked curiously. Bucky turned to face the little squirt, who seemed to have banish all his awkward stuttering. Yep; Bucky definitely was having a positive effect on the kid. "It's become obvious that this person is one of us and if they are compatible with the galaxy's most powerful stone and the weapon that wields it? It doesn't sound like you're going to get rid of them so easily."

 _Peter has a point_ , Bucky thought as he turned to gauge the Celestials' reactions. Aether seemed peeved off, Agamotto was refraining from chuckling at Peter's cleverness, Sceptra and Gamoul seemed impressed, Orbous was smirking, and so was Tesseract.

"Very astute observation, young one," Tesseract commented, revealing a full grin on his face. The Celestials had to be crackpots, Bucky concluded. Why on Earth, or Friðrheim, would they find _that_ amusing? "Unfortunately, we have yet to discuss what our reaction will be like in that case. As soon as we have come up with an answer, you will all be informed."

"Yeah right," Sam grumbled under his breath. "When do they ever keep those kind of promises?"

Bucky snorted and covered it up quickly. Aasfa dared another glance to Bucky and he raised an eyebrow at her, trying to silently convey that she was supposed to tell him more information about Friðrheim and what happened the first time the Fire had been put out. Her brow scrunched up adorably as she tried to decipher his message.

 _Where is the thought coming from?_

 _ **Don't look at me. It's not from me,**_ the Asset butted in, and Bucky could imagine the voice giving a shrug.

"The next issue we need to discuss is leadership," Sceptra put out, and Bucky could already see some heads nodding in agreement. "Each of you are from different walks of life; some of you are not the same species or even from the same planet as each other. However, we implore you to cast those differences aside and look deep within yourself: out of these people in the circle, from the week you have known each other, who would you trust with your life to lead you into a battle against Thanos for the greater good?"

As if on cue, there was silence again; not the good kind, if Bucky was following his gut instinct. He knew from his days in the war how challenging it was to submit yourself under the leadership of a person you hadn't known at all, or very well. Bucky didn't want to put himself in that kind of position again, especially with the Asset being so prominent in his life again.

"I nominate James Buchanan Barnes as the leader of our group."

Bucky froze, completely stiffened up in his seat. His head turned slowly, shock immediately taking over all his systems. Out of all the strange people in the circle, Bucky would never have guessed that it would be _Nick Fury_ to offer him as a leader first.

"I second that nomination," Sam Wilson interjected, raising his hand shortly as an indicator. Slowly, one by one, everyone in the circle kept the nomination going. Even when the vote got to T'Challa, a king, and Dr. Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme, they both looked at Bucky and nominated him again. The last vote came to rest on Peter. Bucky swiveled his upper body to look down at the teen boy who had already changed his life in the few short days that Bucky had known the kid.

Peter had a giant grin on his face, and he reached up, patting Bucky's shoulder in small, intense claps. "Bucky...I haven't known you for very long. I mean, I studied you in History class, but that doesn't even come close to the…" Fury coughed, and Peter blushed in embarrassment. Bucky figured that he had just realized he had been rambling again. "My bad, Mr. Fury, sir, Director...dude...anyways! You've risked your life to help protect me, some kid from Queens you've never met," Bucky chuckled to himself, 'That explains a lot' and Peter gave him a glare for interrupting before continuing, "so my answer is yes. I nominate Bucky Barnes as the leader of our gang."

The vote was unanimous. Bucky let out a grin, not sure why he was doing it but doing it anyways. "Thank you all. This...this is...I mean, just thank you."

"As touching as that was," Aether interrupted, and Bucky thought that he caught the redhead Celestial doing an eyeroll, "we need to continue. Since you have been hand-selected from multiple teams across the galaxy, you must take on a new team name so that addressing you all may not take up so much time as it does now."

"Watchhunters."

Bucky snorted under his breath as he looked at Peter, who was doing his awkward blushing habit again. The teenager reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, think about it? It's simple; we are literally hunting for a watch that could change the fate of our galaxy. So, why not? Plus, I think it sounds kind of cool."

"Watchhunters," Wanda murmured, her eyes gazing into the fire. She spoke the word softly and smoothly, as if she were trying out the taste of it. She gave a small grin and looked up towards Vision. "I like it."

"Watchhunters it is then," Agamotto nodded contently. "Now, we will return you to your tents tonight. Tomorrow, you will need to be packed and moving before the sun reaches its peak in the sky."

* * *

Everyone had leisurely left the tent. Bucky had sent Peter back to the sleeping tent with Sam and Groot; Bucky himself hung back at the meeting tent for as long as he possibly dared. He needed to talk with Aasfa, when they finally had a moment alone without the rest of the team hounding them from every direction. As soon as the meeting had ended, the Celestials had left, which meant that Bucky didn't have to worry about them. The final person to leave the tent happened to be Dr. Strange, who seemed to know what Bucky was waiting for. He slipped out of the tent, nodded once towards Bucky, and then shut the tent's opening gently.

Bucky turned his attention to Aasfa, who was wandering around the small fire. Bare feet with her long, dark hair and the flowing purple dress that still matched Bucky's current attire made her look like a dream; a dame that Bucky would have willingly dated back in his time period. But she wasn't from then, and he knew that he was not the same Bucky as he had been back then either.

Bucky clasped his hands behind his back and dared to take a few steps towards the fire, breaking through the barrier circle of chairs. Aasfa, on the other side of the fire, noticed his presence and looked up, giving him a gentle, small smile. "Hello Bucky. Is there anything I can help you with? I did notice you were giving me a strange look during the meeting."

"I remembered that I had questions that you promised to give me answers to," Bucky casually replied, moving to the nearest chair. He hoisted himself up and allowed himself to relax down into it. "However, our meeting when we were supposed to discuss this got cancelled by the Celestials. So, I decided we were going to have it now."

"What would happen if I were to refuse such a meeting?" Aasfa teased, the familiar mischievous twinkle in her eyes again. She walked slowly around the fireplace, slowly making her way closer to Bucky. "I suppose you would force me to tell you."

She was close to his knees now, and Bucky's body seemed to react on its own. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. This put his face just a few mere inches away from Aasfa's. He looked at her straight in the eyes and did not allow his gaze to wander anywhere. "You won't refuse, Aasfa. You don't seem like that kind of person."

Aasfa giggled at the comment and Bucky couldn't help but to say that he was pleased when he noticed her face tinged red around her cheeks. "I will admit, Bucky, that you make a very compelling case in just a few words."

Aasfa turned from him and hopped up onto the chair beside him, tucking up one of her legs while keeping her body angled towards him. "So, tell me: what was the first question you wished to have answers to?"

"The history of that fire in the other tent, the one that you tend all the time," Bucky supplied. "What happened to this realm when that fire got extinguished?"

Aasfa paused and licked her lips slowly, cautiously. For some reason, the hairs on the back of Bucky's neck stood up, and not in a good way. "You will have to accept my apologies, Bucky. I am afraid to disclose that information would be to disclose classified information on a Celestial, which I am forbidden by the Sacred Laws of Aynulhayat Tenders to do. I was not originally aware that this was a breach in my Tenders Laws when I promised you these answers in the first place. Again...I am sorry but I cannot supply the answers to your question at this time." It seemed that she was getting more and more anxious as the mini-speech went on.

Already noticing a panic attack coming on, Bucky shot out his hand instinctively and began rubbing his thumb up and down soothing on Aasfa's arm. As much as he could, he wrapped Aasfa up in his arms and drew her close. The chairs did not allow for much maneuverability and comfort, but Bucky just hoped that he was getting the message of comfort and support out to Aasfa. "Shh...deep breaths, Aasfa. I didn't mean to pressure you into telling me anything...it's alright, it's ok."

Bucky lost track of time after that. He couldn't tell for sure how long the two of them had been sitting there, simply allowing each other to be in the opposite one's presence. Aasfa ended up with one hand on his human arm and the other one resting on where the joint of his Vibranium arm met his flesh. Her breathing began to level out, much to Bucky's relief. Soon, she pulled away from their mock hug, looking at Bucky's eyes.

"Thank you," she murmured, her body still slightly shaking. "I don't know what came over me. I've never experienced anything like that before."

"Unfortunately, I have," Bucky replied, unwrapping his arms from her. "We call them panic attacks on Earth; for some, they come and strike for no particular reason. Others, the less unfortunate, have been diagnosed with a condition which means that they will have to experience panic attacks for the rest of their lives."

Aasfa looked at him with sad eyes and a jaw opened wide. "This sinking, drowning feeling in your chest…your people have to live with this?" Bucky nodded and was about to explain anxiety medicine to her when she added, "Do you experience this too, Bucky?"

Taken aback by the question, Bucky froze. His panic attacks were usually caused by an overabundance of the Asset talking. To answer her question fully, he would have to reveal the existence of the Asset, and that was not something he was willing to do, at the moment.

 _ **I'm crushed** ,_ the Asset butted in dryly, and Bucky subconsciously clenched his fist tighter.

"Bucky, are you alright…?"

"No," Bucky shot out, and then, realizing his phrasing, he quickly added, "No, I mean, yes I am fine, no I do not have panic attacks. I've had a couple in the past, but nothing in the past few years." He felt disgusted with how easily the lie fell from his lips. His mother had taught him and his four siblings right and the Barnes family all considered lying to be a great offense. _Sorry, Mama_.

Aasfa was silent for a moment, studying Bucky's face with an intense look. As quickly as that look appeared, it slipped away. She gave a tiny nod of approval. "Thank you for sharing this, Bucky. Now, it is best that you return to your team. We have a long journey ahead of us."

She bounced out of her chair, and Bucky stood up slower, following her lead. Aasfa studied him again, and Bucky cocked his head at her curiously. What was she doing?

Moving with surprising speed, Aasfa closed the distance between the two of them. Due to her small stature, she stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed Bucky. It could barely be qualified as a kiss, but Bucky was so shocked that he didn't move. He hadn't been kissed since…

He couldn't remember.

Aasfa dropped back down to her heels and gave a bashful grin. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bucky." And with that, she flipped around and darted out of the tent, leaving Bucky reeling in his spot.

 _What just happened?_

 _ **I believe she just kissed us,**_ the Asset answered slowly. Apparently, he was in shock too. He had referred to Bucky and himself as 'us'.

Bucky shook himself out, blinked his eyes a couple of hundred times just to be super clear that he wasn't dreaming, and then he left the tent, his human hand coming up to touch his lips.

Yep, nothing made sense on Friðrheim, and that included romance. And now, Bucky had to figure out what he was going to tell Peter if the kid asked him about the meeting. _Oh help us all._

* * *

 **A/N: HEY Y'ALL! I'M BAAAAAAAAACK!**

 **Goodness graciousness, sorry it took so long! So much stuff has popped into my life that I've been completely swamped. So, I saw Spiderman: Far From Home like a week or two ago, and I was actually thoroughly pleased with it (** **surprising** **myself). That's what gave me the motivation to finish this chapter, in case y'all were wondering.**

 **Also, I completely forgot to do this the last chapter, but in case you were all wondering who I casted for the Celestials, including Aasfa, here they are!:**

 **Aether - Lily Collins**

 **Sceptra - Sandra Bullock**

 **Tesseract - Jared Padalecki**

 **Gamoul - Zoe Saldana (duh)**

 **Orbous - Gerard Butler**

 **Agamotto - Liam Neeson**

 **Aasfa - Camila Cabello**

 **I felt like Agamotto definitely needed to be casted and told about it, since I developed his character a bit on Liam Neeson's weird accent (y'all know what I'm talking about). Onto** reviews!:

 _Whitelion69:_ **Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the last chapter (took me forever to write it though). Here's another update for you. Good to know you've seen Endgame (spoilers didn't appear in this chapter like I suspected it would have).**

 _AliceCullen3 :_ **THANK YOU! I loved it too :)**

 _PrincessStarberry:_ **Great name. Thanks, I thought it was unique too.**

 _QwertyBobberson:_ **I feel as if I am heavily hinting at a lot of possible pairings. I don't know if it's going to happen. I can't outline my stories, I've tried and they have failed. So instead, I just do whatever my minds wants me to write at the moment. If a Aether/Peter ship starts to happen, then so be it.**

 _IvyVine:_ **Could not stop smiling after I read the first sentence! To answer your question, very few people know about the Asset's voice. Peter happens to be one of those few people. I like to think that even though the Asset talks tough and acts rough, he has a soft spot for Peter too, in a big brotherly sort of way.**

 _Estel Ashlee Snape:_ **Ah, thank you! You'll have to wait and see (I know, Endgame got to me too, but in a different way then other people).**

 **Ok, reviews out of the way. Chapter 9 is in progress, but let's be honest: who knows when that is going to come out? So, until then, if there is anything you'd like to see happen in Watchhunters: The Convergenst, like a ship you want developed more, two characters having a fluff moment together (Peter teasing Bucky about a former crush, Groot pranking everyone by speaking the Ancient Language some more, etc.), then leave me a review! I love hearing back from y'all.** _Keep in mind that I WILL NOT involve any smut or slash in this story._

 **I also realize that there are some typos throughout the story. I plan on heading back and re-reading all the chapters and fixing whatever mistakes there are hidden away.**

 **Until next time, my Watchhunters. Keep fighting the good fight.**


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